


Travellers-Muir Islands

by Charms7116



Series: Travelers [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, James Bond - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Hawaii, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Psychics/Psionics, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Complete, Gen, Gray Jedi, Magic, Original Character(s), Time Travel, Timelord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 64,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24735169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charms7116/pseuds/Charms7116
Summary: This is what happens when you cross Four stranded Timelords and  Intelligence!This is a story I wrote some years ago. It's strongly inspired by Doctor Who and the main characters are my OC Timelords. I've marked is as a mix of Doctor Who, Star Wars-inspired, and James Bond because that is basically what it is.Tina Salmarian and her two fellow Timelords Xavier and Salmarian answer a call sent to them originating from The Muir Islands which is a sort of Alternate Hawaii and find that the call is from Xavier's old friend (another stranded Timelord) Magius who works for  Intelligence and needs some help solving a case and to help capture a criminal MastermindThis is taken on my alternate Earth and in the future so things happened a little differently when it came to the Timelords.I Figured that some got stranded in an alternate universe so this is where this group have been, besides I didn't think there were enough female Timelord characters! Thus Tina.This story is probably PG-rated, as there is no explicit sex scenes or anything, save maybe some flirting. So I think it is safe for teens to read.** Also the Doctor is mentioned several times but isn't actually in it **
Series: Travelers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883581





	1. Prologue-Muir Islands- 2947

**Prologue**

Magius stood on the darkened beach looking out to sea long after the hovercraft that had taken his companion and fellow agent away from him.  
  
He had heard her screaming, but that had even stopped now, for they were too far to hear anymore.  
  
Before him, stood, the darkly sinister shape of the island that he and his companions had been trying to get to, it rose darkly on the horizon, blocking out the distant stars.  
  
The mission had gone horribly wrong of the three of them that had set out together to investigate and possibly stop the target, only he remained.  
  
Withers had been killed in the battle, and Tianna had been kidnapped, good agents both, well trained, but they had been betrayed, their information corrupted, their mission compromised.  
  
He didn’t know how he was going to explain this to HQ back in London; he should, he knew; deny all information of what had happened to Tianna and Withers, but Tianna was his friend, and so was Withers he felt he owed it to them both to continue the mission even if it meant been classed as a Rogue.  
  
How could they have all known that the enemy had alien technology and weapons and that it was Time-sensitive equipment?  
  
They had just thought that maybe the enemy had gotten hold of some of the T’ron or Scorpionaid equipment with the current war that was raging throughout the universe, dangerously at risk of becoming a Time War.  
  
A war fought on all four dimensions; they had been kept busy tracking down and destroying alien weapons from both of the two primary races that had somehow gotten into the hands of the Earth.  
  
The man was good at this; it was his specialty he’d been a technician and soldier in another war, in another dimension, but he’d been thrown through time and across dimensions to this universe, a universe parallel to his own, so many years ago.  
  
He had almost died, but hadn’t, somehow, he had survived.  
  
But no this was different this was alien, this technology didn’t belong in this universe at all, he had sensed it, and it was his duty he felt to put a stop to it, but, he couldn’t do it alone, he needed help, the help he wasn’t sure he could get any more, but it was worth a try.  
  
He went to his ship and rummaged around in his belongings to find what he wanted; finally, he found it and pulled it out and nodding he set it up to transmit a signal that would go through space and time.  
  
It was one of the things he had remaining from his wreaked space and time capsule that had gotten destroyed when he arrived here all those years ago, it no longer existed but he had managed to salvage some of its technology which he had added onto his current ship it was enough he had found.  
  
Once the transmitter was going, he nodded and then called Headquarters to explain that this was going to take a little longer than they had thought, leaving out the bit about the death of Withers and the kidnapping of Tianna, that was something he would do on his own.  
  
Once the call was placed, he sat back and waited, planning his next move.


	2. 15 July 2947- Somewhere in the vortex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile somewhere in the Vortex- Meet my Timelord Crew!

It was one of those rare moments of silence in Tina’s ship.  
  
Salmarian was taking a nap, Xavier was in his favourite chair reading yet another book by Charles Dickens, he seemed to be in Dickens phase at the moment seeming determined to read all of Dickens’s novels in one go.  
  
Tina was as usual at the console of her ship, checking some readouts and adjusting as her ship flew through the time vortex.  
  
From further inside her ship, she could hear Crysta, Xavier’s daughter singing as she cooked in the kitchen.  
  
Crysta loved to cook; Tina had found the young Time lady in the library one day going through all her cookbooks, she had said she intended to cook a dish from everyone eventually, Tina wondered what it would be tonight.  
  
Merlyn one of Xavier’s twin sons was sitting nearby going through a book Tina had given him on Tardis maintenance, and she guessed Merlyn’s twin brother Rastalin was working on his VW that he was doing up.  
  
They were an odd little crew Tina mused to herself, more family than a crew, her, her husband, Salmarian and their friend Xavier plus Xavier’s three teenage children, possibly all that remained in this universe of the Time Lord race, even if Xavier’s three were technically half-breeds, their other half been Dorenganza.  
  
This one race matched the Time Lords of Gallifrey in this parallel universe.  
  
Tina smiled oh well if that was how it was going to be, then it would be so; she didn’t mind hopefully in a few years she and Sal would be able to provide one or two more children.  
  
Her and he were still young enough to do that both of them still been under five hundred years old.  
  
Tina brushed her long Strawberry-blonde curls out of her eyes and decided it was probably time she washed her hair, outwardly like any Time Lord she looked human, she was a tall woman standing 5.9 or 10 with lightly tanned skin, long strawberry-blonde curly hair, blue-green almond shaped eyes, a few freckles across her nose, an athletic figure, and looked to be in her mid-thirties, she spoke with an Australian accent, she was really 390 years old and in her second regeneration.  
  
She looked across at Xavier and said, “You’ll Dickens yourself out!”  
  
Her fellow Timelord and a best friend looked up and said “ no I won’t, I love Charles Dickens” he spoke with a soft Northern England accent. He looked to be in his mid to late ’40s, with black hair slightly streaked with grey, amazing midnight blue eyes and fair English skin, handsome definitely but also very distinguished-looking; Tina had no idea how old he was over 600 somewhere she knew probably closer to 700.   
  
He was in about his fourth regeneration, something like that; he was also the father of the three children, the children he had thought he lost forever.  
  
Xavier said, “ maybe you should read some of these old classics Tina’ he stood up, at slightly over six feet tall he could be quite imposing when he chose to be, Tina and Salmarian both had huge respect for him.  
  
Xavier unlike them was grounded, his TARDIS been damaged so severely that it no longer flew, he had given up trying to repair it long ago.  
  
When Tina had offered to take him on as crew in hers, he had quite happily agreed, with the war currently raging throughout their universe he had felt he could be much more useful to the universe mobile than been stuck on one planet.  
  
He was a member of SIS a branch of special agents who got called in to help with difficult situations, but, his team due to the war had been scattered throughout the universe, they could contact him wherever they wanted, but, they had been quite happy to let him travel with Tina for the duration.  
  
Tina shrugged “maybe”.  
  
‘You should,” he said, “get some classics in your repoitre’.  
  
Tina chuckled and said, “I like Jane Austen and the Bronte’s, you know Crysta wants to go visit the Regency Period one day”.  
  
‘Arh the Regency period, Mr Darcy and all that, yes that would be nice, I like that era myself actually, that and the Victorian era. And I do kind of like the 16th century and all that as well, see the Sistine Chapel been painted and all. We should take the kids there one day, and to see the Pyramids and ancient Rome and all that, we have a working Time Machine and three children who haven’t seen any of these high points in history. It would broaden their minds.” He said, “and probably yours as well, Tina”.  
  
Tina laughed; Xavier was so like another friend and fellow Time Lord of theirs in a different dimension and universe, only probably not quite so powerful, he was also very different.  
  
Xavier smoothed his black frock coat and adjusted his cravat, Xavier’s dress sense was quite elegant and old fashioned, compared to Tina’s “ _New Age Witchy look_ ’ and Salmarian’s more casual street clothes look, but, it was mainly because he lived on Icotorus and that was the traditional dress on Icotorus of a Gentleman.   
  
If Xavier was anything, it was a Gentleman.  
  
Tina said, ‘so where do you suggest we go then?”  
  
Salmarian came out rubbing his eyes and said, “how about the 1950’s or something different like the World Fair in America? The kids would like that”.  
  
Salmarian, Tina’s husband was also a Time Lord, aged 480 or thereabouts he and Tina had been married for ages and their love for each other was evident, like Xavier he was tall and broad-shouldered with a great body, currently in his third regeneration.   
Salmarian also had long red hair, which curled slightly, blue-grey eyes, and looked to be about 40 or so; he was also quite handsome with slightly freckled fair skin.   
  
He spoke with an Australian accent, but it was overlaid with a faint British one, he sounded like he had been born in Britain (Kent, his accent was Kentish he’d been told) but had moved to Australia some time ago and had lost most of his accent but not all of it.  
  
“Sounds good,” said Tina about ready to lay in a course for 20th century Earth.  
  
‘Sleep well?” Xavier asked.  
  
Salmarian yawned slightly and rubbed his temples “got rid of my headache at any rate” he replied.  
  
Tina was about to see the course when Salmarian noticed a light flashing on the console.  
  
‘” What’s this?” he asked.  
  
They all crowded around it, and Xavier said, “Gee never thought I’d see one of **_those_** again”.  
  
  
Tina nodded “yeah me too” as they suddenly all recognised it.  
  
‘It’s a signal calling the Time Lords,” Salmarian said, “someone’s in trouble, it’s not the Doctor is it?”  
  
Tina checked the co-ordinates and shook her head “no it’s originating in this universe, the trackers not active; let me see if I can get a fix on it”.  
  
Xavier asked, “another survivor?”  
  
Tina nodded “possibly, it’s not coming from a TARDIS though”.  
  
Xavier nodded “that doesn’t mean it’s not one of us, I don’t have a TARDIS anymore either”.  
  
Tina said “true nor did Sal” who’d after been separated from Tina for some reason still unclear to both of them for many years had flown a Freighter ship as a Courier.  
  
Merlyn looked up from the manual he’d been given and got up and came over; the young Timelord was just 97 or 98 years old which technically made him about 18, just old enough to regenerate, he was 5.8 with long Strawberry-blonde curly hair, golden brown skin and amazing blue- silver eyes, his hair had streaks of gold and silver though it.   
  
He was handsome, showing just the barest hint of his alien blood, a slight slant to his eyes, a small point to his ears but human none the less, he looked more like Tina’s and Salmarians son than he did Xaviers.  
  
“Someone’s signalling us?” he asked, curious “ ** _another_** Time Lord?”  
  
”Possibly,” Tina said, smiling at her young companion.  
  
‘” Where?” Merlyn asked.  
  
Xavier said, “It looks like it’s originating from Earth, possibly England, in our time”.  
  
’Oh” Merlyn said thoughtfully.  
  
”We should answer it I guess,” Tina said, setting a course for Earth ‘might be another survivor”.  
  
Merlyn watched as she set the course absorbing it all in, out of the three kids it had been Merlyn whose real name was Quinawah, who had proven to be the closest to his Time Lord father, he had happily settled into a life travelling through time and space and learning how to be a Time Lord.  
  
He could fly Tina’s Tardis although he often joked if they wanted to teach him to drive it maybe they should put L plates on it.   
  
Like Tina and Sal, he was telepathically linked to the TARDIS as well.  
  
Tina and Salmarian with the help of Xavier were currently teaching Merlyn all they knew given the fact that there were three young Time Lords onboard as all three of them had been born and raised in this universe and thus were very much a part of It as well, the three adults had quite a job on their hands, but it was Merlyn who was the most Time Lord and probably the most powerful.  
  
“Merlyn, you want to take over for a bit?” Tina asked, “should be an easy ride; it’s our time; I need to go wash my hair.”  
  
”Really?” Merlyn asked eagerly he **_loved_** flying the TARDIS!  
  
Tina grinned “Sal will look after you; you need the practice, just try not to **_hit_ **anything! The last thing we need is another displaced Vortasaur” she said referring to the last time Merlyn had flown the TARDIS and had hit a young Vortasaur a type of reptile that lived in the Time vortex, it was currently recuperating onboard, and Crysta had made a pet of it.  
  
‘” I’ll try,” Merlyn said.  
  
Tina said “Ok, old girl look after him as well” this was said to the _**TARDIS**_.  
  
Merlyn went to the console and started to push a few buttons his hands didn’t entirely move as fast as Tina’s did yet as he occasionally had to check what he was doing, but, it was clear he had some knowledge on how to fly the TT capsule.  
  
Tina’s was a Type 40 an older model, somewhat old-fashioned, it had been her fathers, and he had passed it onto her when she came of age, it was old, played up occasionally, worked about 96% per cent of the time, was temperamental, slightly rackety, scarred and battered.  
  
Tina with her high status on Gallifrey had been entitled to getting a better model but, never had done so, she said it was all she had of her beloved father and that it was her home, and that sometimes she could still feel her father’s presence in it as it had been his for many years.  
  
Tina had refused to part with her ship, she loved the old girl and took excellent care of it, it was in good nick and Tina made sure she kept it that way, living amongst the Dorenganza for so many years also made it possible to get it maintenanced as well.  
  
Ok so the Dorenganza weren’t Time Lords and experts on transdimensional vehicles, but, they knew enough about Time Travel capsules to help Tina enough in keeping her ship in working order.  
  
Tina herself had been trained as an engineer so with that help and her own knowledge she had managed to keep the old ship in reasonably good working order.  
  
So maybe the old ship wasn’t fully Gallifreyan anymore, she had had to use what she could to make repairs on her ship over the years, so some of the stuff on her ship was actually Dorenganzan technology, but then as she thought about it were any of them fully Gallifreyan anymore?  
  
She, Salmarian and Xavier had all regenerated here in this universe, they had all lived here for many years, and they had all picked up unusual powers and abilities from doing so.  
  
The most obvious ones they had picked up was an ability to feel and master the magical nodes that infused this universe, here magic was a defining force, and it was real.  
  
Strangely enough, the Time Lords had proven to be quite sensitive to it; all of them had gained magical powers from living here so long.  
  
Tina’s was Music, Xavier was a Technomage or Artificer as they called themselves and Sal surprisingly had managed to master the power of the Elements.  
  
Another thing the three of them had gained was enhanced Psionic ability, more than most people of their race, they were all reasonably Psionic as well, none of them was Primes, but they weren’t duds either.  
  
It was Merlyn and Rastalin who were the Primes, and Crysta wasn’t that far behind her two brothers in that area as well, born and raised here the three kids were indeed children of this universe.  
  
‘Hi Crysta” she called to Xavier’s daughter, who was in the kitchen “what are you cooking?”  
  
’ Some Italian pasta dish I can’t pronounce the name” she replied, ‘but it should be nice”.  
  
Tina said, “You should have become a chef.”  
  
Crysta grinned “Nah, too boring, not when I can go flying around space and time and fighting monsters and seeing history”, Crysta still wasn’t entirely aware of her heritage or realised what it meant, and that she was a Time Lady, she still thought it cool that Tina had a time machine, she was only 17 after all.  
  
Tina said, “would have been safer” she smiled at the girl, Crysta was a beauty with silver-gold hair and aqua eyes, tall and slender, and with a _gung ho_ ,’ _can-do_ ’ cheerful attitude.  
  
She had been Salmarian’s travelling companion for many years when he had found her as an orphaned waif on Crasolia at about age 11 or 12 (Theoretically speaking She was 90 now), acting as a guide and doing odd jobs for people to earn a living.   
  
Salmarian had liked her spirit and had offered her a place to stay and a job, often passing her off as his daughter, he treated her like the daughter he had never gotten around to having, Salmarian loved Crysta with all his hearts and Crysta loved him.  
  
‘Probably but not as interesting” Crysta replied.  
  
Tina chuckled and said, “I’m going to go have a shower and wash my hair, Merlyn’s flying the ship, and we’ll probably be landing soon, ok?”  
  
”Cool! Where?” she asked.  
  
“Our own time and place on Earth, we’ve answered a signal, someone needs our help” Tina replied.  
  
Crysta nodded “ok”.  
  
Tina said, “I know you want to go visit the Regency period, just not this time, maybe next time.”  
  
“Ok,” she said, ‘Think I’ll get to meet Jane Austen if we do?” she loved Austen’s books having recently discovered them.  
  
“I’ll make sure you do,” Tina said with a smile, “I want to meet her too”.  
  
“Cool!” she said, “oops my sauce is boiling!”  
  
Tina smiled and headed towards the bathroom, stopping by her room to get a change of clothes and her bathrobe.


	3. 15 July 2947- London-England

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tardis lands in London and they meet the originator of the call.

****  
  
Merlyn materialised the _ **TARDIS**_ about 40 minutes later it was a slightly bumpy landing, but, he had managed to get them down.  
  
“Need to work on those landings, don’t we?” Xavier said to him.  
  
“Sorry,” Merlyn said.  
  
Xavier said “don’t worry you should have seen the first time I landed a _**TARDIS**_ back on Gallifrey; I landed us upside-down. All it takes is practise”.  
  
Merlyn chuckled “yeah”.  
  
Xavier grinned and said, “Ok, let’s see where we’re ended up, huh?” he checked the coordinates and said, “We’re in London. The year is 2947; the month is July.”  
  
“Summer” Merlyn said.  
  
“Uh huh” he replied, ‘Well done you landed us where we aimed for and at the right time”.  
  
Merlyn said, “could we have a look” he opened the scanner and checked their surroundings they seemed to be in an alleyway or something up against a graffitied wall, the TARDIS had assumed one her favourite shapes of a panel van, she also added some graffiti on herself as well.  
  
Merlyn said, “I wonder why she does that?”  
  
”What?” Xavier asked.  
  
“She always assumes that shape in places like this or a fire hydrant, it seems to be one of her favourites”.  
  
Xavier shrugged “Tardis’s have minds of their own, mine used to like looking like a dumpster in places like this either that or a panel van”.  
  
Merlyn said, “You must hate not having a Tardis anymore”.  
  
Xavier shrugged “I’ve gotten used to it, I’ve had to, and what do you mean I don’t have a Tardis anymore, mine just doesn’t fly anymore,” he held up a small object “a bit of her is always with me, don’t worry we don’t die or go mad if we are separated from our Tardis’s, just feel a little lost, but as Sal’s proven we get used to it.”  
  
“That’s the Telepathic circuit isn’t it?” Merlyn asked.  
  
“Uh huh, I removed it in case the Xanadu gets boarded or something, as a precaution, can’t have my ship with all its and my knowledge falling into enemy hands, my ship doesn’t fly anymore, but she would be precious if I had left it in there” he replied, he tapped Merlyn’s nose “if I feel a little homesick I just hook it up to something I made and Walla I’m fine! Don’t worry about your old dad being without his Tardis son”.  
  
Merlyn grinned, the fact that Xavier was his father was still taking a bit of getting used to, as he and Raist and Crysta had always thought themselves total orphans, but, he had to admit he kind of liked the idea that Xavier was their dad.   
  
Xavier wasn’t trying to walk in and be a dad after been separated from them so long, he knew that would be wrong especially considering his three children’s ages, but Xavier had thought his three children dead, so it was as much as he was getting to know them as them getting to know him.   
  


Both sides of the equation seemed to be coming together well it would take time, but, Xavier had a feeling that he and his three children would have a great relationship with each other eventually.  
  
They had pretty much all clicked right away, even when he hadn’t known that they were his kids, the three of them liked him, and he liked them he felt a quiet sense of fatherly pride when he was with them and when he thought about them.  
  
Tina came out followed by Rastalin who was wearing grease-stained overalls ‘so we here?” Tina asked Merlyn.  
  
“Uh huh,” Merlyn said, “Earth 2947, 15th July”.  
  
Rastalin spoke then “I can’t believe this we have space and time machine that can travel through the entire universe and across time, and we end up on Earth in our own time?”  
  
Tina chuckled “someone signalled us, they need our help, sorry Rast”.  
  
“The Doctor?” he asked.  
  
“No,” Tina said, “we’re in our universe remember, no someone else signalled us”.  
  
“Who?” Rast asked.  
  
”Someone with Time Lord Technology,” Xavier said then.  
  
“But I thought?” Rastalin trailed off “you mean?”  
  
” Or someone with enough know-how to use Time Lord Technology´ Xavier replied, “we’re not sure yet”.  
  
“But who could it be?” Rastalin asked.  
  
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” said Xavier “someone’s knocking on the Tardis door”.  
  
Tina said, “I’ll go it’s my ship”.  
  
“Careful Tina” Rast warned igniting his sabre, which proved even moreso the three children belonged in this universe.  
  
Rastalin and Merlyn were Adept Knights, and Crysta was a Force Adept.   
  
However, she didn’t have a Master as she had pretty much trained herself and Salmarian had helped her as well.  
  
The Adepts of the Way were an ancient order of Psionic warriors, part of a quasi-religious order that trained people with a particular something in their DNA, they taught them to take their existing Psionic abilities a step further, to a state beyond standard Psionic training, they were universally respected, and a little feared in this universe.  
  
They acted as peacekeepers, diplomats, liaisons, support crew for just about everything including the military, special agents, medics, technicians etc., throughout the universe; they were found on starships, in, or leading fleets, on planets, in war-torn areas, portable medical units, even as parts of an army but as support rather than front liners, they were everywhere, they worked for anyone providing their goals were honourable, they also held considerable power throughout the universe, everybody respected the Adepts, and like Tina, Salmarian and Xavier had found they seemed a law unto themselves.  
  
Just about every ship throughout the universe usually had a least one Adept aboard as they were excellent fighters as well, with their mystical powers and their skills with weapons, people tended to listen to the Jadaini.  
  
Jadaini amongst Dorenganza were rare as the race were usually a little too chaotic to achieve the required disciplines to become one, but, even the Dorenganza had a few, Merlyn and Rastalin were two of those.  
  
Both Merlyn and Rastalin were have fully fledged Adepts Knights.  
  
Both of them carried one of the marks of the Order, the sword and both of them were sufficiently proficient in the use of their blade, Tina had seen both of them fight, and she knew that they could very well look after themselves and their companions without a problem if it came to that.  
  
Adepts didn’t like to kill, but they could and did if the situation deemed necessary, they generally wanted to solve a situation peacefully.   
  
Without any bloodshed, they weren’t assassins or murderers, but on some planets where the law was lacking, they often were the law.  
  
Rastalin followed Tina to the door and stood back, guarding her as she opened it.  
  
Tina opened the door and saw a man standing out there and asked, “uh, who are you?”  
  
The man said, “thank the Gods you heard me. I thought noone would answer!”  
  
“You’re the one that sent the signal?” Tina asked, judging him safe and letting him in, Rastalin already knowing that had stood down and discharged his sword.  
  
‘Yes!” the man said, “I thought I was the only one left!”  
  
”Huh?” Tina said.  
  
”I’m one of you!” he said.  
  
Rastalin spoke then “he speaks the truth Tina he is a Time Lord just like you, that aura is unmistakable”.  
  
Tina looked at Rastalin then and then said, “come in then!’  
  
The Man nodded and walked into the Tardis, and suddenly Xavier said “Magius? Is that you?”


	4. 15 July 2947- London-England

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xavier greets an old friend and yes Magius is based on James Bond and I make no apologies for that! apart from giving a nod to the person who created James Bond!

##  15TH July 2947- London-England –Earth

“ **M** agius is that really you?” Xavier asked coming forward to their new guest ‘ I thought you were dead!”  
  
”Xanian?” he asked, “Is that you?”  
  
Xavier nodded “I’m known as Xavier now, but yes it’s me, last I saw you were flying off ahead of the fleet intending to blow up one of the mother ships of the Enemy!”  
  
’Last I saw of you, you were President-Admiral of Gallifrey and in _charge_ of one of our fleets!” he replied, “You’re regenerated!”  
  
”Uh so have you?” said Xavier ‘Gee man I thought you were dead!” he went and hugged him ‘What happened!”

“I got ripped out of the Time Vortex and ended up here with a totally wreaked ship I think I took some of the backblasts from the mother ship when it blew up, but at least I took it with me!”

Xavier said, “All I saw was your War-Tardis going up in flames along with the mother ship, I thought you had perished along with it”.

Tina cleared her throat and said, “Obviously you two **_know_** each other”.  
  


Xavier said, “I’m sorry Tina, excuse my manners, Magius and I go back a long way, we were at College together, he is one of my oldest and dearest friends, I was just surprised to see that he is still alive”.  
  


Magius said, “likewise I thought Xanian was dead, I’m sorry milady I am Magius although here I am known as John Foxx 008, it’s my codename you see’.  
  


‘Your 008!” Rastalin gasped he loved John Foxx!  
  


‘You mean you _weren’t_ kidding when you said that John Fox was a Time Lord?” Merlyn asked astounded.

Xavier shrugged “what can I say, I knew that 008 was a Time Lord, but I didn’t realise it was Magius”.

Magius said, “Uh yeah I am”.

Rastalin said, “Gee do you realise how many books and movies have been made about John Foxx? Crikey he’s one of my favourite heroes!”  
  
Magius said, “Yes, I do.”

Xavier said, “Cool it Rast as I keep telling you three, not all is as it seems or as it is written”.

Magius said, “ I didn’t expect to get an answer from one of my people, I Wasn’t expecting one, I thought maybe one of the Dorenganza or something would answer not another Time Lord”.  
  
Xavier nodded “we’re some of the few that remain”.  
  
Magius looked around and then at Xavier “we lost the War, huh?” Xavier nodded.

“Our planet?” he asked.

Xavier nodded again, “our people?” Xavier nodded again.

There was a long silence as Magius absorbed this “Our whole race and our planet has gone?” he asked again.

Xavier nodded “all of it, we’re some of the few survivors”.

Magius nodded slowly then and said “thought as much, I think I felt it deep inside’ he sighed deeply “which makes this mission all the more important”.

Xavier stood up and said “let me introduce you to my friends, Tina, Salmarian, and my three children Crysta, Quinawah and Tilanthalas. Probably the few remaining Time Lords in the entire universe, this is Tina’s ship, not mine”.  
  


“What happened to yours?” he asked.  
  
”Pretty much went the same way as yours I think, I’m grounded, mine is damaged beyond repair, Tina probably has the only working Tardis in this universe”.  
  
”Mine got completely _destroyed_ ” he replied, he looked around “a Type 40, haven’t seen one like this for years. Especially in such good nick”, he wandered around looking at it.  
  


Tina said, “it was my father’s; she flies that is good enough for me”.  
  


Magius said, “You clearly take good care of her,” he remarked.  
  


“She’s all I have of my father”.  
  
  
Magius looked at Xavier “you had kids?”  
  
Xavier shrugged and smiled “yes I thought I had lost them and their mother forever”.

“I’m not their mother,” Tina said.

Magius said, “I didn’t think you were, you mean you and that woman you travelled with had _children_ together?”  
  
Xavier nodded “yes, I fell deeply in love with her: we got married and had children”.  
  
Magius said, “you rascal, wasn’t she an alien or something?”  
  
”She was Dorenganza” Xavier replied, “the only race that equals us here”.

“We never knew her,” Merlyn said.  
  


Magius looked at the lad then, he looked about 18.  
  
He could see some of Xavier in him and said: “she would have been proud, she was quite a woman, was Aeryn, I know why Xavier fell in love with her, I had half an eye on her myself, but her heart was for Xavier and him alone”.  
  


“ _Aeryn_ ,” Merlyn said quietly over her name, “Xavier never told us her name”.

“I couldn’t remember it” he apologised “but yes Aeryn was her name”.

“ _Aeryn_ ,” Crystal said softly “oh, that is such a gift!”  
  
Xavier said, “I’m sorry I had forgotten her name”.  
  
Magius said, “but **_three_**?”  
  
”Three” Xavier confirmed.

Magius said, “only wish I could have been so lucky”.  
  


Tina said, “why did you call us, Magius?”  
  
Magius said, “I Think Earth needs our help.”

“Go on,” said Xavier.  
  
”I’m with Intelligence as your probably surmised by now and an agent, I was sent by my Boss on a mission to Muir Islands to find and destroy another mastermind with a secret weapon, we’ve been doing that a lot lately with the War and all, my assistant Tianna and another agent were sent with me, Withers was killed, and Tianna was kidnapped, Intelligence Don’t know about them or me seeking outside help, but they do know that we were betrayed. The mission compromised, I Think the secret weapon or whatever the target is a time-sensitive weapon from our own universe, possibly from the Time Wars which is why we have to go in and destroy it, it’s our duty as Time Lords to do so”.  
  


Tina said, “where about is this secret weapon kept?”  
  
  
Magius said “, on an island, we know that much, we got so close to it when we were compromised” he grinned slightly wolfishly at her “ you know how long it has been since I was with a woman of my own race?”  
  
Tina chuckled “I’m taken, sorry”.

Salmarian said “uh that’s **my wife** you’re talking to there” he knew about the famous John Foxx charm, he’d seen **_all_ **the movies.

Xavier appeared oblivious to the interplay and said: “whereabouts is the island?”  
  
”Off the coast in the Muir Islands”.  
  


“there’s a rather complex set of tunnels to get into the fortress and some pretty hefty alarm systems, that was Wither’s specialty, I don’t know how we’re going to get around them now, I was a decent Tech but nothing special, Wither’s was a genius, for a human.”  
  


“Alarms systems?” Merlyn asked, “let me look?”  
  
Magius looked at the lad “what was your name again?”  
  
”Quinawah” he replied, “but everyone calls me Merlyn”.

“Cause he’s good at fixing things and computers,” Raistlin said.

Tina said, “I let him have a look at it Magius”.

Magius said, “well ok, but it is complicated, Withers took a couple of days to figure it out”.

He handed Merlyn a map of the alarm system, Merlyn looked at it and whistled “nice work, very advanced, but definitely doable”.

Magius nodded “it is, isn’t it?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “I’m going to need a decent computer, to crack **this** one, see there are three weak areas in the link, but no doubt their well protected, they’re going to be tricky to get through I’m definitely going to need some time”.

Magius looked at Merlyn “you can get into it though!” he sounded astonished.

Merlyn nodded “given enough time and the right equipment”.

Magius asked, “just how old are you?”  
  
Merlyn chuckled “97, and no I haven’t regenerated I’m probably way too young, but I am good with computers”.

Magius looked at Xavier “I’m impressed”.

Raistlin said, “Merlyn’s a genius when it comes to computers, give him a computer to break into, and he’ll do it”.

Magius looked at him in amazement “you’re a hacker?”

Merlyn nodded “and a good one, we generally prefer the term _Systems Infiltrator_ though, but yes, I’m a Hacker and a damn good one, ever heard of StarKnight? And I don’t mean the game.”  
  
Magius said “only one of the best damn hackers in the _universe_!”

“ _ **I’m** _StarKnight” Merlyn replied, “I’m a natural Interfacer, I can get into just about anything, Warlock and Ghost are better than me though, I admit that, but they’re both had more practice than I and so has Ghostwalker, but this definitely isn’t beyond my skills”.

“You’re an Interfacer?” he asked,

“Yes, I even got into the Matrix back on Gallifrey while I was there! It was in a different time and place before it got destroyed though”.

Xavier said, “ ** _you didn’t_**!”  
  
’Yeah just to see if I could!” Merlyn said.

Xavier said, “you’re a sneak, Merlyn Firesong!”  
  
Merlyn said, “I know, Magius I can do this if given the right equipment and some time, actually, I could probably use the Tardis computers to do so”.

Magius looked at Merlyn and then Xavier “your kids a Time Lord alright”.  
  
”Uh huh,” said Xavier “all three of them actually but Merlyn’s the most Time Lord”.  
  
Merlyn said “how could we not be? Xavier’s our dad”.

Magius said, “crossbreed children aren’t always guaranteed, children like you and your siblings are incredibly rare amongst us, we’re human-like but not human, it doesn’t always work”.

“Our mother was Dorenganza” Merlyn reminded him, “we probably exist because of that fact and Dorenganza adaptability”.

Magius nodded “I know, the _fact_ that the three of you are even here is a miracle, Dorenganza are our equals in this universe, which is why Xavier fell in love with one, just how like us are you?”

Xavier said, “in every way, these three have a Gallifreyan physiognomy, along with Dorenganzan powers and characteristics, truth is I think their Dorenganzan side has suffered a little from that fact, they can’t shapeshift as well as a full breed Dorenganza and don’t have the Dorenganza immortality, but their got everything else”.

Magius said, “I never thought I see the day I would find Xavier with three children”.

Xavier said, “they’re our future maybe that is the only way we can survive”.

Magius said “very well, how about I go treat you all to a cup of tea and a cake, huh? It’s been ages since I’ve seen Xanian”.  
  
”Sounds good,” said Xavier “the kids haven’t seen London in this time zone yet”.

Tina pulled on her batik printed coat and opened the Tardis doors and said: “Ok, let’s go”.  
  
”Cool,” said Merlyn, ready for a new adventure as he walked outside.


	5. 15 July 2947- London-England

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crews adventures in London

**L** ondon in the 30th century was still a large city and still full of people although not as many as there had been in the 21st century, but still a significant city none the less

Big Ben still stood somehow, surviving the years of war and the meteorite that had hit the Earth some centuries ago, Merlyn suspected that was due to the vast and ancient node that surrounded it, the houses of Parliament still stood.  
Although they had been rebuilt a couple of times, Buckingham Palace had been rebuilt as well, some of the familiar landmarks stood, and some did not.

London these days was a city of golden buildings, air cars, small spacecraft, smog-free air, hovertrains the whole bit, there were some things about London that hadn’t changed, like the pea-souper fogs and lots of rain not to mention cold winters and snow, but it was Summer at the moment. Hence, it was relatively warm, and the sky was blue with white fluffy clouds.

“Arh London,” Tina said slightly sarcastically, Tina much preferred Australian cities.

Merlyn looked around in awe and took a few photos he had never been to London in his home century, and this was all new to him.

Xavier said “jolly old England! Wonder if there is a cricket match on”.  
  
”I think it’s the third day of the fifth Ashes Test,” Magius said, “the Australians are still flogging us”.

“Way to go Aussies!” Tina said she grinned “nice to know that some things don’t change regardless of what time zone you visit”.

Magius and Xavier both looked at her, as Magius like Xavier had an English accent, only his was more upper-crust London.

Tina said, “Hey, I’m an Aussie!”

Magius said, “ ** _figures_** the first female Time Lord I’ve met in a long time, and she’s an _ **Australian**_!”  
  
Sal chuckled “came with the package” he shrugged “Tina and me lived in Australia for a long time when we first came to this universe guess we went native”.

“Figures:” he said, “look I know a nice café around here that makes a great coffee and tea, we can talk there”.  
  
Suddenly Magius wrist unit began to beep, and he answered it “John here what do you want NA?”  
  
” _008 **where**_ _are you?”_ he was asked.

“In London, I’m looking for clues like I said I would be,” he said, “this is going to take a lot longer than we first thought”.  
  
” _We told you to keep us up to date,”_ the voice said.

“I’ve got some contacts in London Ok, that might be able to help us, trustworthy contacts will report in when I have spoken to them”.

“ _Very well”_ he was told, _“NA out”.  
  
_Magius said, “I haven’t told them about seeking your help so I would advise it strongly to keep this between us Tianna’s life might be at stake otherwise”.  
  
Xavier nodded “you can count on us Magius”.  
  
He led them into a café and took a seat and said: “how are you up to a trip to Muir Islands?”

Tina said, “never been there, are you sure this is a good idea?”  
  
Magius said, “I think the technology that we’re supposed to be finding is from our universe it’s probably fallen through time and ended up here, which is why I need your help, I feel it is our duty as Time Lords to find it and destroy it”.  
  
Rastalin said, “I can’t believe your actually 008!”

“Rast,” said Xavier, he looked at Magius apologetically then said, “they've all been born and raised in this universe, so their knowledge is how you put it, Tina?”  
  
”50% fact, 30% fiction, 10% imagination and 10% idealism” Tina replied “forgive them”.  
  
Rastalin said, “but you’re like my favourite hero!”  
  
Magius said, “things aren’t always like their written, or as they seem Rastalin, I know what you mean”.  
  
”His name Is Tilanthalas,” Xavier said, “although for some unknown reason he prefers to be called Rastalin”.  
  
” He’s Dorenganza,” Tina said, “he’s been bought up as a Xanaduen remember it is not uncommon for them to take names that suit them”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I know he has been”.  
  
Rastalin spoke again “I’ve seen all the movies, read all the books and own the entire TV series, John Foxx is my favourite hero!”  
  
Magius chuckled “I see what you mean Xavier; look the real Intelligence has nothing to do with what you see on TV or at the movies, I hope you realise that!”

Rastalin said, “then how come you have the same codename?”  
  
”Co-incidence” he replied, “it’s how people get ranked in the Agency!”.

“You know it does make sense that you’re a Time Lord,” Merlyn said.

Magius looked at the other twin; he was fast becoming able to tell them apart, Merlyn it seemed was the quieter more serious one.

Magius said “ the truth is Rastalin the movies and the book over exaggerate everything, been an agent for Intelligence is often dangerous, dirty and not the least bit glamorous, yes we do stuff like you see in the movies. But often without the glamour and the  
glitz, and we don’t always come back alive or get the girl”, he shrugged and smiled “ Although I see what you mean, I actually kind of like the stories that have been written about us, mainly because I know the truth. I can just sit back and enjoy them, for escapism when things get tough”.

Xavier sighed ‘we really have to teach you kids the true facts”.

Merlyn said, ‘as Adept Knights Rast we should know better, the stories of us aren’t always true as well”.  
  
Magius said astonished “you’re Jadai Knights?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “I’m a Consular, and Rast’s a Guardian”.

Magius looked at Xavier in astonishment and pride ‘your two sons are Jadai Knights!!”  
  
Xavier nodded “took me by surprise as well, I haven’t seen my kids since they were babies, I lost their mother, and I thought I had lost them forever as well, I thought them dead, I’ve only recently found all three of them again, I am still getting to know them and them, me. So yes, I was quite surprised, and I admit not a little proud to find that my sons were Jadai Knights”.  
  
Magius said “I don’t blame you! Crikey even **_Intelligence_** respect the Jadai!”  
  
Merlyn indicated the badge that Magius noticed they both wore; he recognised it right away, crossed Lightsabres on a black background, the mark of the Order and those of it.

“I “ he was at a loss for words, “ well you two will be very useful then, Time Lords and Jadai Knights!”  
  
Xavier took his tea and scones he had ordered savouring at the aroma of traditional English tea, this was a traditional English Teahouse, and he felt right at home.

“You two are SO English!” Tina groaned to them both, Magius like Xavier looked like a typical English Gentleman, in his pinstriped suit, shirt, scarf and hat.

Magius was as tall as Xavier, with brown hair and green eyes and handsome features; he also looked about Salmarian’s age, he also spoke with an upper-crust London accent and probably was very suave and charming when he chose.

“The Doctor would love you!” Salmarian said with a grin.

Magius said “The Doctor? You mean…...”

Tina nodded and said, “yes the Doctor, he’s in another universe though, we’ve met him a couple of times”.  
  
Magius said, “I thought he was just a legend!”  
  
”So did us at first,” Tina said, “but no he exists alright, just not here”.  
  
Magius shook his head in amazement “the Doctor!”

“He’s in about his ninth or tenth incarnation now though,” Tina said, “where are you?”  
  
”Fifth” he replied, “I ran into some major trouble, some years back and ended up regenerating as a result.”

“Oh,” said Tina “I’m in my second, not fun”.

“It never is” he admitted, “you never know what you might end up with”.

“But I thought you could control it,” Rastalin said.

“Yes you can, but you often don’t get the chance” he replied, “sometimes situations beyond your control force you to go through it”, he looked at Xavier “you _have_ explained Regeneration to them haven’t you?”

Crysta said “I don’t quite understand that though, how we do it though? And why? And do we actually become a different person altogether?”  
  
Xavier said, “it’s a gamble at best, but it’s our people’s way of beating death, you have thirteen lives Crysta, and yes you do become a different person, but you also remain yourself as well, it’s kinda hard to explain really, it just is”.  
  
Merlyn said, “I think I am beginning to grasp the concept, it’s kinda scary thought to know that we can do that though”.  
  
Magius said “one of the reasons why we were one of the most powerful and most feared races in our universe, you have the power to manipulate time, even half breeds like yourselves, though rare have that power. Remember that all of you don’t abuse that power you have”.  
  
Merlyn said, “ that’s why we’re spending a few years travelling around with Tina, we all need to learn how to be Time Lords, for our own safety if nothing else, I don’t think any of us realise yet quite how powerful we are!”  
  
”You probably don’t” he replied.

Tina said, “I’ve known the twins since they were about 5 I’ve helped raised them practically, so we all decided I was the best person to show them their heritage”.

Magius nodded “you would be” he took a sip of his tea, “so will you help me with this mission?”

“Yes’ said Tina “ if all is as you say it is it is probably our duty as Time Lords to do so, means we’re getting involved, but I don’t think it matters much anymore especially in this Universe”.  
  
”It doesn’t,” Magius said, “I’ve been a member of INTELLIGENCE for years”.

Xavier said, “so what do you know?”

He shrugged “ not much to be honest, only that our target has a fortress of an island off the coast of Muir Islands, and that he claims he has some super weapon, with the current war it’s been a chance for all these criminal masterminds to try and seize power and some have been teamed up with the enemy, it’s causing us no end of trouble, and we need to stop him, and I got a bad feeling that the weapon he claims he has is one from our universe left over from the Time Wars”.  
  
Xavier nodded “that could be disastrous for the Earth”.  
  
”Exactly” he replied.

Merlyn said, “we’ll try and help then”.

He said, “I thought you might, having two Jadai on the team will be a huge advantage, I keep telling Intelligence to recruit some Jadai, we’re got a couple of Supers but no Jadai yet”.

“And one _Time Lord_ ,” Merlyn said.

“Uh, they don’t know I’m a Time Lord, I never told them; they think I’m a human, although I am one of their best agents”.

“Which is why the zeroes double,” Rastalin said.

“Yes,” he said he chuckled “you really are a fan, aren’t you?”  
  
”Yes,” Rastalin said.

He nodded and said, “so am I, ironically”.  
  
Merlyn looked up as he suddenly heard what sounded like air raid sirens and said:: “uh, what’s that?”  
  
Magius said, “damn we’re going to have to stay here for a while then it’s an air raid, the Scorps have been raiding recently kinda reminds me of the Blitz during World War Two, which is why the cities suffered some damage, and there are fewer people around these days because of the raids”.

“Cool! An air raid!” Crysta said.

“Not so cool youngling,” he said, “ we have to sit tight until the all clears given, drink your coffee, it’s gonna be the last one you get for a while as they turn all the power off, black the windows out and turn the lights off, put the shields up, we’re in for a long night”.  
  
”Gosh I didn’t realise that the war had gotten so severe,” Tina said, “here on Earth, I knew about the embargo and that but Geez!”  
  
The manager came over to them “I have to ask you all to get away from the window and go down into the shelter” he said.

“Ok,” said Xavier “how long would you say?”  
  
”For as long as it takes,” the manager said.

“Ok,” said Xavier.

The manager said, ‘the shelters that way now **_move_**!”  
  
Xavier got up and said, “come on than kids down into the shelter”.

They followed the other customers who were all whispering amongst themselves till they came to a trapdoor in the floor and a ladder leading down into the darkness.

The manager handed them all torches and said: “blankets are downstairs”.

Crysta said, “this is exciting!”  
  
”Glad you think so,” said Magius “ok after you _little lady_ ”.  
  
Crysta climbed down her Time Lord eyes adapting to the darkness pretty much right away.  
  
Her mind saw the steps of the ladder easily, she climbed down quickly and saw that they appeared to be in a basement or something, a rather large one at that as well and helped an old lady off the ladder.

“Thank you, dear” she replied.

“No problemo,” said Crysta looking eagerly around and then pulling out her electronic diary and went to find a place to sit and wait.

Xavier joined her and said, “hadn’t had to hide in a shelter since I visited 1941 when I still had a working Tardis”.  
  
Crystal said, “was mother with you?”

“Yes, It was all before you were all born though,” he said, “Aeryn found it quite exciting as well; you are so like your mother, Crysta”.  
  
Tina joined them and pretty soon, so did the rest of their party.

“Well, here we all are,” said Rastalin.

Magius said, “keep quiet sometimes troopers raid the buildings during the air raids”.

“My hearts are racing,” Merlyn said quietly.

Magius looked at him and the Xavier “two hearts?” he asked.

“Yep,” said Xavier.

Magius said, “you three really are young Time Lords, aren’t you?”  
  
”Uh, huh,” said Rastalin.

“We just thought we were mutants for many years,” Merlyn said, “but we had no trace of the M gene within us”.  
  
”Sometimes I wish that were _all_ it was,” said Rastalin “I’ve never really been comfortable with our differences. Then there’s this empty feeling inside me I get sometimes”.  
  
”That’s your Time Lord blood, “Tina said, “we all have that empty feeling now seeing our world, and our people are gone”.

Magius nodded “yeah, I thought I was all that was left”.  
  
”It just hurts sometimes,” Rastalin said.  
  
Magius patted the boy's shoulder “you learn to live with it”.  
  
Merlyn said “I think it’s started” as he sensed it.

Tina nodded “yes, it has”.  
  
Crysta looked up from where she’d been doing an entry into her electronic diary and said: “Yeah is that sense a part of been a Time Lord?”  
  
Magius nodded “yes, it is we always sense when something is amiss”, he looked at the three kids “you’ll learn that as you grow in power”.

Merlyn said, “there is just so much to learn”.  
  
Xavier said “one of the reasons why you three need us”.  
  
Tina hugged Salmarian and said “we’ll be fine” she jumped as they felt the impact of gunfire hit.  
  
Salmarian hugged Tina back and said, “yes, we will”.  
  
There was dead silence in the shelter as the inhabitants who were the Time Lords, and about 20 others plus the staff of the coffee shop waited and listened to the bombs dropping.

A baby started to cry, and its parents tried to shush it as they heard footsteps above them.

Tina stood up and went over to the parents of the baby and said: “allow me”.  
  
”She’s scared’ the young mother said.

Tina crouched down and took the baby; it was about six or seven months old, clearly terrified, and then started to sing a wordless lullaby, using her Bardic magic to calm the baby.

The baby stopped crying and looked up at Tina with blue eyes, and Tina rocked her.

“You have the touch,” the mother said as Tina handed the cooing baby back to its mother “do you have children?” she asked then.  
  
Tina said, “not yet, one day I hope to have one or two of my own”.  
  
”You’re still young,” the young mother said.  
  
Tina grinned “not so young”, and paused as the whole shelter vibrated.  
  
”That one was close’ said a young American man in an air force uniform, “probably just across the road.”  
  
The footsteps above stepped on the door of the trapdoor it creaked, and everyone froze expecting it to be opened, but shortly afterwards the steps receded.  
  
”Thank the Gods!” breathed the manager, “that was too close”.  
  
”There’s clearly too much noise around us for them to have heard it,” a woman said.  
  
A priest spoke then “I know you’re all frightened and feeling alone, why don’t we all sit down and have a prayer meeting”.  
  
”Sod off,” said a punk nearby.

“I will join you, Padre,” said the mother of the baby going over to him followed by her husband.  
  
”Everyone else is welcome to join,” said the Priest.

Several other people joined the priest then seeking comfort in his presence; the Time Lords huddled together in a group and waited out the raid.

“I know let’s have a sing-along,” said an old woman then, “it’ll take our mind off the present”.

“Keep it down though,” said a middle aged man “they’re still up there, they’ll hear us”.  
  
Tina stood up then and said “ok” she smiled and said, “let’s start with _**God. Save the Queen** ,_ then shall we?”

“Actually it’s **_God save the King_** now,” said a man.

Tina shrugged “I’ve been off-world, sorry about that”.  
  
”I don’t know the words” Merlyn whispered.  
  
”Don’t worry?” said Magius “just follow along.”

“I didn’t think you Australians recognise the Royal family’s rule now,” said the old woman.  
  
Tina quickly went through what she knew of Earth history (which was a considerable amount) and remembered that Australia had become independent of the Queen ages ago and had formed Australasia.

“True but you do,” said Tina “ _so God Save the King_ , then?”

Tina started to sing her beautifully trained voice ringing out, she added slightly calming magic to it as well to soothe everyone’s frazzled nerves.

Magius joined in then and then Xavier and then Salmarian, the kids not knowing the words just listened.

The manager gave up and started to sing then as well, very soon those that weren’t involved in the prayer meeting were all singing, including the punk.

“Way to go, Tina,” said Xavier.

Tina grinned and said, “good it worked”.  
  
”How do you do that” Magius asked.  
  
”I’m a Bard,” Tina said, “haven’t you managed to learn to use the nodes as well”.  
  
Magius said, “nope haven’t tried it actually”.  
  
”We’re actually quite good at it, it appears,” Xavier said, “I’m an Artificer; it seems that we have the power to pick it up easily”.  
  
”Two hearts” Salmarian added “seems we have extra energy to spare because of it”.  
  
”Oh,” said Magius.

Salmarian said, “give it a try”.

Tina said, “I think it’s going away”.  
  
”Get everyone singing again,” said Xavier as one of the older woman had started to sing ‘ ** _Amazing Grace_** _.’_

“ ** _How about Auld Lyne Sy_**.” Another man said.  
  
”Ok,” said the group they all joined hands and started to sing it, this was followed by ‘ ** _The Star-Spangled Banner’_** and then _‘ **Waltzing**_ **_Matilda’_ **and then **‘ _Advance Australia fair_** _’_.

Salmarian said, “how about ‘ ** _Bound for Botany Bay_** _?”_

This was then sung, and then Merlyn suggested ‘ ** _The Yellow_ _Submarine’_** and Rastalin than suggested another Beatles song and soon the whole shelter were singing Beatles songs.

Tina was outshining them all and leading them all even without an instrument, clearly in her element.

Crysta suggested _‘ **Dancing Queen’**_ this was then followed by some more Abba songs and then Merlyn started on the Double Visions ones.

“ ** _Double Me, Double You, Double visions_** _!!”_ Merlyn sang he loved Double Visions!

Tina bolstered on started to sing some of her own creations, including a song she had written for Salmarian.

Salmarian listened spellbound he knew Tina was good, but he hadn’t realised just how good she was!

Tina finished her song, and a voice said: “you’re a Bard, aren’t you?”  
  
Tina turned to the voice and found it was the American Airman and nodded “yes, how you guess?”  
  
”You sing like an angel” he replied.

Tina shrugged “my luck, I guess”.

He said, “I’m Captain John Harkennon, and you are?”  
  
”Tina Ongaldan” she replied using Casamir’s last name, Casamir was the twins adopted father.

He said, “you're really do sing like an angel Tina Ongaldan”.  
  
”Thank you,” Tina said.

Salmarian said, “she does, doesn’t she?”  
  
Tina said, “this is my husband Salmarian”, just as the all-clear rang out.

“All clear,” said Captain John standing up.

**W** ithin a few minutes, the shelter was empty, and Tina and her crew stepped out onto the street taking note of the damage caused by the raid.

The Manager looked at his damaged shop and sighed “This is going to cost a mint!”

“Your insured, aren’t you?” Magius asked.

“Yes,” he said, “but it’s still going to cost a lot, I hate this war!”  
  
”I think that feeling is mutual for all of us,” said Xavier.

The manager sighed and said “yeah”.  
  
He looked at the group and said to Tina “thank you for your singing. I think it helped”.  
  
”That’s ok,” Tina said with a smile.

They walked away back to the Tardis, which clearly deciding that it was drawing too much attention to itself had changed its outward appearance to look like a van.

Tina checked her for damage, found none and then opened the door and entered and said: “say think you could put the kettle on for us?”  
  
Magius looked around and said “look I really gotta get back to HQ, “he handed her some coordinates “these are where I was in the Muir Islands meet me there in two days”.  
  
“Ok,” said Tina “and take care, see you in two days” as he left the Tardis.

“I can’t believe he’s really 008!” said Rast a few minutes after he had gone.

Tina said, “me either”.

Crysta appeared in the doorway and said “Vorz is scared!” she had the young Vortasaur with her, it was only a baby one, well half-grown actually, Merlyn had hit it once when he had been flying the Tardis, kind hearted Crysta had adopted it.

“He’ll be big enough for you to ride soon,” Tina said.  
  
”You can ride them?” Crysta asked.

“We used to ride them barebacked back on Gallifrey,” Tina said, “ok give him some food, and he’ll be fine”.  
  
Crysta nodded and took him back inside the central part of the Tardis, and Merlyn said “really?”  
  
”Yeah,” said Tina putting co-ordinates into the console.  
  
”Cool!” Rast said.  
  
Tina said, “it’s been a long night kids maybe you should all get some rest before we land tomorrow”.  
  
Rast said, “actually I think I’ll go watch some _Babylon five_ and then go to sleep”.

“I’ll join you,” said Merlyn.  
  
Tina said, “I’ll bring you all in some hot chocolate then”.  
  
Salmarian said “good idea, my headaches come back!” he rubbed his temples “I swear ever since I regenerated I’ve been really prone to Migraines!”  
  
”Take it easy Hon,” said Tina.

“I think I’ll go take a couple of aspirins and get some sleep,” Salmarian said.

Xavier said, “I’ll run a couple of traces for time distortions and then go meditate for a bit”.

Tina said, “I’ll get the kids some hot drinks and biscuits, and then I’ll join you, Sal”.  
  
”Ok” Sal kissed her and headed towards his and Tina’s bedroom.

“Lights lowered,” Tina said to her ship, she patted the console “got shook up a bit didn’t you old girl”.  
  
Xavier set up his tracers and then retired to his room, with his book and a cup of Earl Grey a few minutes later.


	6. Chapter Six- 16 July 2947- Muir Islands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crew arrive in the Muir Islands, which as I have stated is kind of an Alternate Hawaii

**T** he ship materialised in the car park at the Hotel Royale in Muir Islands early the next morning, taking on the appearance of its favourite when it landed in carparks and the like that of a fancy looking RV.

Tina opened the door and looked out and said: “Ok it’s safe to come out guys, it’s really early in the morning and there is noone around”.  
  
”You sure?” came Merlyn’s voice from inside.

“Yes,” said Tina.

Xavier peered out “judging by the sun I’d say it’s barely after six, no one’s probably seen us materialise,” he said.

“Got any money?” Sal asked as he peered out.  
  
”It’s our own time zone and our own universe, of course, I have money,” Tina said, adjusting her wraparound skirt and short-sleeved blouse.

“Ok, just checking,” said Salmarian.

Tina said, “I’ve always got money Sal even if you've forgotten to bring it”.

Sal chuckled and said, “Ok very well if you insist”.

“Wow!” Rastalin said, stepping out and looking around “The Muir Islands I’ve heard so much about them”.  
  
Tina said, “ same here, reefs, great weather regardless of what time of year It is, great shopping, maybe we’ll get some time to explore the area while we’re here, I hear that you can hire out subs to see the reefs and there is definite magic about the place”.  
  
”Yeah,” said Merlyn looking around in awe.

Tina said, “come on let’s go book ourselves some rooms and then explore a bit John said he’d be here in two days”.  
  
Rastalin said, “I wonder if he really likes his Martini’s shaken not stirred”.

“Rastalin!” Tina groaned.

Xavier said, “valid point Rast, ok let’s explore a bit huh I’ve always wanted to see this”.  
  
Tina said, “you know Magius may be right I’m definitely picking up a definite feeling of time been out of joint here somewhat”.

Xavier nodded ‘so am I”.  
  
”Me too,” said Salmarian pulling out a device from his denim jacket and moving it around.  
  
Merlyn said, “the aliens don’t seem to have gotten here yet”.

Tina said, “you think they would have by now with Pearl Harbour on one of the other islands”.  
  
Xavier shrugged “maybe they don’t consider it a major threat at the moment”.  
  
”Or they're taken it out already,” said Crysta.

“That too,” said Xavier.  
  
”Well before we do anything we need to book rooms, so we don’t cause too much attention to ourselves, once we do that I’ll bring the Tardis in on remote.” Tina said.

Xavier said, “allow me to do that, I’m with SIS they’ll recognise that and probably give us a huge discount”.  
  
”Ok,” said Tina.

They walked into the white-columned foyer of the Hotel Xavier spied the front desk, pulled out his ID and went up and said: “we need three rooms for a few nights”.

The receptionist looked his ID over and said, “doubles or singles?”  
  
Xavier thought about it and said, “two doubles and a single I think, no better make it three doubles”.

“Ok,” she said, “here you go” she handed him some keys for three rooms on the fifth floor.

“Thanks,” he said, going over and said, “hope you don’t mind sharing a room with one of your brothers, Crysta?”  
  
”No, that’s fine,” she said.

“One of you kids is going to have to share a room with your Dad,” said Xavier to the twins.

“I’ll do that,” said Merlyn “Rast can share with Crysta”.

Rast nodded “Ok, sure you don’t mind sharing a room with me, Crys?”  
  
”Nope,” said Crysta “I’ve been in worse”.  
  
”Ok,” said Rastalin.

“You and Sal get a room to yourselves,” said Xavier handing them a key.

“Thanks,” said Tina.

They went to the lifts and went to the fifth floor and found their rooms, which were quite lovely with balconies overlooking the beach.

Crysta said to Rastalin “you can have the double bed” as her and Rast’s room contained one double and a single bed.

“Ok, are you sure, Cryst?” he asked her.  
  
”You’re taller than me so yeah,” she said, dumping her bag on the single bed.

“Ok,” said Rast.

Xavier led Merlyn into their room and said, ‘ so which bed do you want son?”  
  
”I’ll take the left,” Merlyn said.

Xavier nodded, put his bag down on the right and said: “I’m going to meditate for a while, why don’t you and your siblings go for a swim or something?”  
  
Merlyn said, “you’re almost as bad as an Adept Knight!”  
  
Xavier said “pardon?”  
  
”You meditate a lot,” said Merlyn “so do Rastalin and me”.  
  
Xavier said, “Arh I see, although I can’t see Rastalin meditating a lot!”

Merlyn said, “not as much as I do granted but yeah he meditates quite a bit, it’s part of our training as Adept Knights, to meditate and renew our connection to the Force and reflect on it, Tina calls it ‘ _Jedaiing.”_

“Oh,” said Xavier “I just find it relaxing, I have a lot of memories that I find unpleasant and disconcerting and meditating helps me get them in Order”, he looked at Merlyn “I’m 760 years old Quinawah and have four lifetimes of memories, some of them rather  
painful and unpleasant, you and your siblings are so young, but it is Time Lord thing to pick up excess baggage and more memories than you want as you go through life, we tend to get more memories than we want to at times”.  
  
” _A man is a sum of his memories a Time Lord even more so”_ Merlyn quoted.

“I noticed you say that a lot, where did you hear it?” Xavier asked.

“It was something the Doctor once said,” Merlyn said.

Xavier nodded “that sounds about right, he would say something like that, and actually, I think I can remember him saying it once in an episode of ‘ _Traveller_ ’. He is right, though. You three haven’t regenerated yet so you probably can’t really understand it all yet, but, as you move along your timeline you tend to pick up memories and the like as you go sometime their unpleasant and sometimes they’re not, but, it makes you who you are, it makes you what you are, remember that as you travel through life”.  
  
”Were you really in charge of a time dreadnought?” Merlyn asked, stretching his full length out on his bed.

”The Righteous Fist of Rassillon, yes, although that future no longer exists as we know it, I was there, and I do remember it”.  
  
”That was the Doctors ship in _Quantum Archangel_ ,” Merlyn said “man that was a great episode! It was part of one of the futures that could have been set”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I do remember that yes, yes it was, but yes the Fist was an actual ship, and I was in charge of it”.  
  
Merlyn said, “that’s what I don’t get if that is a future that no longer exists, how come you remember it?”

“Because I’m a Time Lord” he replied.

“So even though it no longer exists, you still lived it?”  
  
”Yes, that’s about it, I still lived it, it’s still in my memory, and to me, it existed”.  
  
Merlyn frowned “I don’t quite get that”.  
  
Xavier said “ it’s our curse Merlyn not only can you see what is, but you can also see what was and what will be, and what could have been, you don’t just see time as linear, to us time **_isn’t_** linear, it’s our power and our curse, we live in all of it, time doesn’t touch us. You and your siblings have always lived in linear time, you’re always in one place, and one time, maybe it’s your Dorenganza blood or something, but, as you grow older and come to understand what your heritage entails, you will come to see it as well”.  
  
  
Merlyn said, “I’m still trying to grasp that fact, so are you saying that I too will see everything”.  
  
”Yes,” he said, “which is why it is so important that the three of you learn how to be Time Lords, for your own sanity”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “I see”.  
  
Xavier grinned “not really, not yet, but you will”.  
  
Merlyn said, “Rastalin says that all this is giving him head spins”.  
  
”No doubt it is,” said Xavier “Crysta probably too, and you admitted that it does”.  
  
Merlyn sighed “there is so much we have to **_learn_**!”  
  
Xavier said “I know” he put an arm around Merlyn “it’s unfortunate that you three don’t have the chance to have the training we all did, so it’s up to us to help you three make that journey and acquire that knowledge”.  
  
Merlyn said, “I managed to download the data from the Matrix on Gallifrey, while I was there on a data crystal I just haven’t gotten around to downloading it onto anything more permanent yet”.  
  
Xavier chuckled “I’d really like to know how you did that without been found out, you didn’t download it all into your head, did you?”  
  
”No I got it on this” he pulled out a reasonably large data crystal “the entire Matrix as it was in the time and space I was there”.  
  
Xavier took the data crystal off Merlyn and looked at it “how did you do it?”  
  
”I have a telepathic link to computers remember? It was _easy_ once I figured out how; the Time Lords for all your powers and that didn’t have natural interfacers like me, even in this universe we’re few and far between, why do you think people want us so bad for?”  
  
Xavier shook his head in amazement “all the knowledge of the Time Lords, all our knowledge for thousands of years, from probably one of the most sophisticated supercomputers in the universe, hacked into and downloaded by an 18-year-old boy from another universe and time!”  
  
Merlyn grinned “I’m _**good**_ , aren’t I? I only did it just to see if I could!”  
  
Xavier said, “yes, you are”.

Merlyn took the crystal off him and put it away again in a pocket on his robes “I probably only could do it though because I am a Time Lord and an Interfacer!”  
  
Xavier nodded “it would have recognised you for a Time Lord which is probably why you could do it”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “Ghost, Ghostwalker and Warlock are all good probably better than I am in many ways, but I don’t think they would have been able to do it because they aren’t half Gallifreyan, I am, so Time Lord Technology probably recognises me for a Time Lord!”  
  
Xavier nodded “yeah, you know that does place you apart from everyone else”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “I realise that,” he sighed “I never can go back to just been what I once was anymore, I can’t just be another Xanaduen anymore”.  
  
Xavier said, “you would have found out sooner or later, it’s your heritage I’m afraid”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “I know”.  
  
Xavier chuckled “but the **entire** Matrix?”  
  
”It was a computer, I’m an Interfacer I can get into just about any computer regardless of what **_type_** it is, I’m still learning the extent of my Interfacing gift, it’s a talent that’s kinda rare, not a lot of people have it or have studied it, all Interfacers are still learning the extent of their gifts, it’s like been a Time Lord you learn how to use it through experience, and that is the only way you can. I only did it to see if I could. I was quite surprised that I could and thus took advantage of it while I was there” he said, “I just have to find something more permanent to put it onto, which is one of the reasons why I keep it close to me on my person, imagine what could happen if someone else found it on me!”

Xavier said “yeah”.  
  
Merlyn took the data crystal out and put it in a box he had in his bag and sealed it, and then said: “I’m going for a look-see, I’ve never been to The Muir Islands in _any_ time zones!”  
  
Xavier nodded “go ahead” and settled down to meditate.

Merlyn grinning left the room and caught the lift down to the bottom floor and met both Crysta and Rastalin out there, like his brother, Rastalin was in Adept Knights robes.   
  
Crysta was in a wraparound skirt and close-fitting short-sleeved top under which the boys could see her swimsuit straps.

Crysta said, “so we going to go to the beach?”  
  
Rastalin nodded and said, “after looking around a bit”.  
  
”What do you think bought John Foxx to these islands?” Crysta asked.

“He’s 008 haven’t you seen the movies?” Rast asked, “he always goes to exotic locales and meets a beautiful woman and always gets the girl”.  
  
”Or girls as the case may be,” said Merlyn.  
  
Rast laughed “ _hmm_ yeah, the girls are then known after that, and usually end up in magazines and the like, appearing in a John Foxx movie sometimes get your career started”.  
  
”Do you **_really_ **think Magius is like that?” Merlyn asked not been able to match up the Magius they knew with the John Foxx of the movies.

“He _was_ flirting with Tina!” said Rast.  
  


“Everyone **flirts** with Tina!” Merlyn said “Tina is drop-dead gorgeous! And she _knows_ it! Truth is Tina I think sometimes is as much a culprit as the person who flirts with her!”  
  
”its amazing Sal doesn’t mind,,” Crysta said.  
  
”I think he knows it’s harmless he and Tina are soulmates, I’m willing to bet he flirts as well!” Merlyn said.

“Yeah he does,” said Crysta remembering the times he had done so on their travels together.  
  
”Time Lords seem to be good at that” Merlyn said.

 **T** hey walked along the road heading towards the beach, looking around in wonder as they did so thoroughly enjoying the fact that they were somewhere they had never been before.

“This is so cool!” said Rastalin.

“Let’s go shopping,” Crysta said then “I got money!”  
  
”I was thinking about a nice swim actually,” Merlyn said who like Crysta was wearing his swimmers under his robes “it’s a glorious day!”  
  
”Ok,” said Crysta “swim it is then”.  
  
They found the entrance to the beach and went down onto the sand it was beautiful white sand and blue water, the palm trees swayed in the light summer breeze, it was a picture-perfect tropical island.

“Gods, this is gorgeous!” Crysta said, setting up a deck chair and then pulling off her skirt and top leaving her in a shimmering silver leopard skin one-piece swimsuit. This swimsuit showed off a ripening figure , a swimsuit that definitely showed that their ‘ _little sister’_ wasn’t quite so ** _little._**

Rastalin chuckled “definitely not so little, huh?”  
  
Merlyn grinned “I think Sal sometimes forgets that”.  
  
Crysta said “I’m going to go into the water!” she ran down the beach and dove into the waves.

Rastalin and Merlyn finished putting up their beach shelter and put the esky they’d brought with them inside it, Merlyn told both Queequag ( his Psionet) and Vorz (the young Vortasaur) to stay guard, knowing noone would bother their belongings with something like a half-grown Vortasaur guarding it.   
  
Although noone could probably figure out what it was!

“Sure it’s safe to leave Vorz to guard it?” Rastalin asked.

“He’s been fed, and I think Crysta’s gotten him pretty much tamed by now”, Merlyn said quietly.

“Ok,” said Rastalin he was still wary around the Vortex spawned creature.

Merlyn chuckled “it’s not his fault he’s here, it’s mine I was the one that hit him”.  
  
Merlyn pulled off his robes and rubbed some sunscreen on himself, he and Rast had fair skin due to their reddish hair, and then went down to the water, and tested it out and then dove into the nearest wave.

He enjoyed the feel of saltwater over him, it had been a while since they had gone to the beach, and Merlyn missed Xanadu’s oceans.

So much had happened since they had left Xanadu over two years ago now, with the war and all, answering a call for help.

“ _Mmm_!” he said.

“Merlyn!” came Rastalin’s voice as he joined his twin.

“Right here,” said Merlyn.

“I wonder how long Time Lords can stay underwater,” Rastalin said thoughtfully.

“I think we can shut off our systems and stay underwater, for a while,” said Merlyn, who was still curiously testing the limits of having a respiratory bypass system and twin hearts.

Rastalin said “really?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “the Doctor does it all the time switches himself off, pretends he’s dead, I think we can actually stop ourselves breathing or something”.  
  
”Which is probably how John does it,” Rastalin said.  
  
Merlyn said, “yeah probably”.  
  
Crysta came up near her brothers and said: “what’s up?”  
  
”Crysta in your travels with Salmarian did you ever use the abilities you have as a Time Lord?” Rast asked.  
  
  
Crysta said,” what you mean?”  
  
”You know like shut yourself down or something,” Rastalin asked.  
  
”Never really needed to,” said Crysta.

“So you don’t know how to do it?” Rast asked.

“No, not really,” she said.  
  
”I think I did it when I got shot and then when I fell through the roof on Gallifrey, but I think both of those times I did it unconsciously,” Merlyn said.

Rastalin said, “Hmmm, you know in many ways we’re better than Supers”.  
  
Supers were the common name for M gene carriers, the M gene was a new gene that some people had along with all the usual kinds, it was mainly found in humans and human-like races like Gorta-Trellian and the like, but it sometimes showed up in non-humans as well.

It was called the M gene as it was short for Mutant gene, for many years Rast and Merlyn had just thought themselves as M gene carriers, but, as it had turned out, they all had no trace of it at all in their bodies.

The M gene often resulted in having strange powers, or slightly different body makeup, i.e., two hearts, webbed fingers, gills or some such thing, or an unusual physiognomy, like a body that couldn’t be pierced by bullets or unusually strong or some such thing.

Time Lords had a collection of these such talents, they were stronger, faster and more agile than a normal human but not substantially so, they had a slightly lower body temperature, their brains were wired differently to humans, they had twin hearts and a respiratory bypass system, tended to be somewhat more immune to most common illnesses, could beat death by regenerating, could see in the dark and had slightly enhanced senses, they also had the power to manipulate time and space, and an ability to change or cause things by just been there, and a knack for getting in trouble, but they weren’t invulnerable nor were they actually that ‘Super’.  
  


They were not immortal either nor bullet-proof, Time Lords healed quickly, but they could still get hurt as easily as anyone else, they weren’t invulnerable unlike some of the ‘Supers’.

Merlyn, Rastalin and Crysta were starting to learn that and had all realised that unlike their other half they were mortal, possibly able to regenerate but definitely not immortal anymore.

Their half-breed status had made them all unique, but, it had also made them less Dorenganza and more Gallifreyan, none of them could shapeshift as easily as their peers. Unlike their peers, they were no longer virtually immortal when they hit adulthood, they also tended to be somewhat more vulnerable than their peers.

Crysta said, “not exactly, none of us is Supers”.  
  
Rastalin said, “it’s weird isn’t it, we have all these weird quirks, and yet we aren’t ‘ _Super_ ’ enough to be Supers”.  
  
Merlyn said, “yes it is, but we are also Adept Knights Rastalin that alone makes us different and special and makes up for not been ‘ _Super_ ’ enough to be ‘Supers”.  
  
Crysta said “you know what I think is so scary about all this we have a Star-Dragons power without bearing the mark or been Star-Dragons! That’s the scariest part!”  
  
”We’re better than Star-Dragons we’re unique,” said Rastalin “we’re Time Lords!”  
  
Merlyn said “yes and no” he paused and looked out to sea “looks like a cruise ship is coming in”.  
  
Rastalin said “yeah” he dove back into the water and started to swim a wave came in and covered them all.

Merlyn poked his head out a few minutes later and spying his brother and sister said, “how about we swim over to that group of rocks and check out the rock pools?” he said indicating an outcropping of rocks a fair distance away.  
  
”Sounds good how many years has it been since we’re done that?” Rastalin said remembering the many times Casamir had taken them to look at rock pools as they were growing up.

“Quite a few,” said Merlyn “come on Crysta, and oh yeah don’t forget to harden the soles of your feet, so we don’t cut them on the shells”.  
  
Crysta looked at the rocks they seemed awfully far away, and she said so “they look awfully far away”.  
  
Merlyn said, “I bet we could do it all underwater if we chose as well, no I’m pretty sure we could swim there easily, given our unusual physiology”.  
  
Rastalin nodded “easily done, come on!”  
  
They started to swim with strong strokes towards the rocks, not feeling the least bit hard-pressed, they were all somewhat fit, but Merlyn also knew that their twin hearts would stop them running out of breath.

Crysta not quite as fast as her twin brothers pulled herself mere seconds after her twin brothers on the rocks.

They appeared to be in a round semi-secluded cove that would be mainly covered by water when the tide was in but seeing it wasn’t at the moment there was a wealth of rock pools to explore.

Merlyn hardened the soles of his feet and added some extra grip so he wouldn’t slip on the rocks and then laughed as he realised what their sister had done, she had let her hair change to its natural silver flame and had grown a fishtail she was bare-breasted and currently looked like a mermaid.

“Crysta stop fooling around,” Rastalin said with a smile.  
  
”I just wanted to see if I could still do it,” said Crysta “I really freaked the Professor out when I first did this”.

 ** _Professor_** was her name for Salmarian because she said he reminded her of an absentminded college professor her guardian had known on Crasolia.  
  
”Cosmetic changes like that are easy, we can all do that, that is one thing that hasn’t been taken away from us by our alien blood,” Rast said.  
  
Merlyn said “let’s explore the rock pools, huh?” he stood up and Crysta bought her legs back and pulled up her swimsuit again.

They walked along the rocks easily due to the alterations they’d done on their feet checking out the rock pools, which were teeming with life and colour.

“Hey, look at that purple starfish,” Crysta said crouching down near a rock pool which had a sizeable purple starfish in it.

“There’s an interesting crustacean over here,” said Merlyn who was crouching near another.

Crysta came over and looked at it and said: “sure wish I had my camera with me!” Crysta’s Guardian had been a Xeno-naturalist, she had died during the recent war on Crasolia in a prison camp, a prison camp where Crysta had been held in for some years as well, Crysta had loved her and continued her work on for her, which was studying fauna and flora of different worlds, Crysta had diaries full of her observations and the like as well as her guardians.

As a result, Crysta was quite knowledgeable about different plant and animal species, and she kept adding more to her studies, her knowledge had come in handy with her travels with Salmarian.

“We can probably come back,” said Rastalin.

Crysta shook her head “it be different than” she indicated her head “, but it’s ok it’s all in here”.  
  
”Time Lord Mind,” said Merlyn with a grin as they continued walking.

Crysta said, “what is it about that?”  
  
Merlyn said, “Time Lord minds tend to work differently to everyone’s else’s, we tend to use the full potential of our minds, and we tend to have near photographic memories as well as strong shields and the like, Tina explained it all to me once, I’m sure if I thought about it, I would remember what she said”.  
  
”How superior are we?” Crysta asked.

“Depends on what you deem as _Superior_ ,” said Rastalin.

Crysta said “Oh”.  
  
Rastalin said, “the point is, we’re _different_ , it’s always been something of a sore point with me, because at first I hated to be different, and in many ways I still do, but I think I am finally starting to get used to the idea, I think I am starting to accept myself for who and what I am”.  
  
Crysta looked at Rast in amazement “you hated it? **_You_**!”   
  
That surprised her, happy go lucky, outgoing Tilanthalas been insecure about been different, Quinawah she would have understood more, shy, quiet, scholarly Quinawah, but **_Tilanthalas_**?

Rastalin said “it still freaks me out somewhat Crys, strangely enough, it is Quin whose accepted this whole thing a lot better than I, it is Quin whose adapted the easiest to been a Time Lord,” he sighed “it’s always been me who's been the strong one, but in many ways, in these last few months, it has been Quin whose proven to be the stronger one. Quin has a quiet strength one that shows up when he needs it to. In many ways, Quin is stronger than I”.  
  
  
Crysta said, “I thought nothing ever bothered you!”  
  
Rastalin said, “so did I”.  
  
Crysta looked at her other brother who was observing a rock pool, a slight smile on his face and wondered, just **_who_** was the stronger one out of her two brothers?

Merlyn looked up and said, “I think there’s two starfish mating in this pool”.  
  
Crysta came up and said, “yep their definitely getting it on!”  
  
  
  
Rastalin came up and said, “at least **_someone_** is!”  
  
Merlyn stood up and pointed to a large rock pool nearby “I think there is something odd about that one”.

“Odd? What do you mean odd?” Crysta asked.  
  
”I’ll show you,” said Merlyn “follow me”.  
  
They did. Too they came to the rock pool it was quite large and seemed to dip down a bit and seemed to be too deep.  
  
Rastalin said, “that _isn’t_ a rock pool”.  
  
Crysta stepped into it and said “no it isn’t it appears to be an entrance to an underground cave!” she bent down “if we crawl we should be able to get into it”.  
  
”Sea caves?” Rastalin asked.

“Yeah,” said Crysta “just as well we’re all in human form, or else we would have trouble fitting in otherwise if we weren’t”.  
  
”I wonder how deep it goes,” said Rastalin.

“Want to check it out?” Crysta asked her sense of adventure, starting to tingle.

“Why not?” Rastalin said stepping into the pool and putting his sonar up, meaning he unsheathed his small, curly, somewhat ‘ _cute_ ’ silver antennae they all had them it was a trait natural to their race (the Dorenganza side that is) and crawled down to the deeper water and started to work his way through the entrance.

Crysta stripped off, made her swimsuit disappear into the ether (something else they could all do) till she was stark naked and then crawled into the deeper water, once there she grew a tail and took mermaid form, putting her own sonar up and joined Rast, Crysta loved taking Mermaid form to swim.

Merlyn sighing put his own sonar up and joined his siblings, growing gills as well and letting ‘ ** _Dorenganza Adaptability_** ’ do the rest.

**O** nce underwater after their eyes had all adjusted they looked around, yes they were in what appeared to be the beginnings of an underwater cave eerily lit by phosphorescence.

“Wow!” Rastalin said his voice clear and without alteration, Dorenganza Adaptability no doubt, like Merlyn he had grown gills and fins as well, the two of them kinda looked like some type of alien merman at the moment.

“Maybe we should take Crysta’s example,” Merlyn said, growing a tail of his own and keeping some of his fins.

“Mmm yeah,” said Rast realising that had they been like any of their peers they probably would have looked like dolphins or fish at the moment, he too grew a tail, the changes were mainly cosmetic, so it was easily achievable even for their limited shape-changing ability.

“You two make cute Merman!” Crysta said, swimming up looking like the picture-perfect Mermaid.

“All we need is a trident each” Merlyn joked.

Rastalin said, “We should see what else is in these caves come on!”  
  
They started to swim efficiently, keeping up with each other in their altered forms.

Merlyn chanted slightly and very soon they had three small bobbing lights surrounding them.

“You can cast spells even underwater?” Rastalin asked astonished at his brother’s ability to do so.

“Earth, Air, Fire, Water, the Elements Four, the fifth makes Spirit, I’m Order of the Five remembers? I’m not as good as Salmarian, but I know enough to be able to cast a spell underwater, Water is one of the Elements four” Merlyn replied.

“Oh yeah I keep forgetting you’re an Order of the Five Mage,” said Rastalin.

“I’m no Master, not like Sal but yeah I am,” said Merlyn “and you do keep forgetting it Brother dear”.  
  
Crysta said, “so do I”.  
  
Merlyn groaned and said “figures”.  
  
Crysta said, “you really _are **Merlyn, the Magician**_!”  
  
Merlyn said “I didn’t get my nickname for nothing! And I earnt it for more than just because I’m good at fixing things!”  
  
Rastalin said “yeah”.  
  
”Do I detect a hint of jealously there?” Crysta asked.  
  
Rastalin shrugged “maybe a little, yeah”.  
  
Crysta said, “isn’t that a no-no for an Adept Knight?”  
  
Rastalin said “no it isn’t, the Adept Knight code doesn’t say you have to totally get rid of all your darker emotions. Because they are as much a part of you like your lighter ones, you need both to be balanced. It doesn’t say you should ignore them either or not acknowledge them or admit to having them. Sometimes you need your darker emotions to save yourself and to save others, you don’t deny your darker emotions you just don’t let them rule you. You discipline yourself to not let them take you over or to  
cloud your judgement. Yes, I admit maybe there is a little jealously there, but, at least I admit that there is and don’t try to deny it, besides a little sibling rivalry never hurt anyone. Especially seeing Quin and I are twins there is bound to be a little sibling rivalry there it’s perfectly normal to feel that way, we wouldn’t be brothers if there wasn’t! Especially seeing we’re twins at that!”  
  
Merlyn said, “and besides, if there wasn’t a little bit of sibling rivalry between us, we wouldn’t be as good a team as we are!”  
  
”So you admit you’re a little jealous of Rast as well”.  
  
Merlyn chuckled “yes, of course, I’m a little jealous of Tilan! I’ve always envied his more dramatic flair! And the fact that he can talk to girls _better_ than I can!”  
  
Rastalin said, “not to mention I’m better than you are with a lightsabre!”  
  
”Yeah but I understand the Force better than you!” Merlyn shot back “even _Casamir_ said that!”

“Which is why I’m a Guardian, and Merlyn’s a Consular,” Rastalin said.

“My point exactly!” Merlyn said, “ Crys if there wasn’t a little sibling rivalry between us, we wouldn’t be as good a team as we are, we also wouldn’t be as strong as individuals as we are, I mean tell me Crys how easy is it to tell Rast and I apart once you get to know us, we aren't as identical as people think?”  
  
”It’s quite easy,” said Crysta.  
  
”Exactly,” Merlyn said, “Rast and I are best friends as well as brothers. It’s because we do have a little sibling rivalry there, it is what makes us, us, and it is also what makes us individuals and not just an extension of each other as some twins are”.  
  
”You two definitely aren’t extensions of each other” Crysta said, “although I admit in a fight you seem to think and act as one”.  
  
”We do, that’s why we’re so effective as a team and as individuals,” Rast said “Casamir saw this and trained us thus. He taught us to use both our strengths and our weaknesses to their fullest”.  
”Oh,” said Crysta.

“Come on, let’s see what’s at the end of this passage,” said Rast taking the lead as they were currently swimming along what seemed to be a long tunnel.

“Maybe it’s something we can pass onto 008,” said Crysta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I authored a story some years back when Merlyn ended up on Gallifrey, for a couple of weeks. When I find it I will share it here, but to cut a long story short, Merlyn fell through a portal and ended up on Gallifrey for a few weeks. Whilst there he hacked into the matrix and downloaded some of the knowledge from the computer. Just to see if he could!


	7. 16 July 2947- London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile back in London Magius gets ready for his new mission, a telling off from his boss and the kids continue their impromptu adventure

**M** eanwhile, in the Headquarters back in London, QA was outfitting Magius for his new mission.

Magius had told them what he had done and the results he had gotten and about the death of Withers and the kidnapping of Tianna, his new mission was to finish his old one and to rescue Tianna if possible.

He had also told them about Xavier knowing it was a risk to do so but figuring if he didn’t, they would have found out.

They weren’t happy that he had gotten someone outside Intelligence involved even if he **was** SIS! He hadn’t told them about Tina, Sal, and the kids though.

“John,” said QA as he led him into his abode “They aren’t happy about this decision of yours you do realise that don’t you”.  
  
”Yes,” said Magius “but Tianna’s my friend, and so was Withers, just because we were compromised doesn’t mean I shouldn’t finish it.”  
  
QA nodded and said, “here’s what I’ve come up with to help you out”.  
  
”Very well,” he said.  
  
QA held up a watch and said “first the watch, all the usual features although I have upped the laser in it, should cut through even the thickest steel now, and has a small camera in it and a communicator in case you and your friend get separated, this is your twentieth I believe so ** _try_** and keep this one in one piece, here is two more, one is for your friend, the other for Tianna” he handed it to him.

“Thanks,” he said, putting it on.

“Next is these rings one for you, for Tianna, and one for your friend, you say you think you’re up against an alien device of some sort something to do with time, turn the blue stone that should protect you all from time leakages for a certain amount of time. Your watches pick up Artron energy as you requested, I also have some helmets you can all wear that should shield you from Artron energy and the effects of time” he held up a pen “this is a jamming device. Just turn and click and it’ll jam any frequencies, turn it the other way, activates a small detonation device, that should be enough to cover you and those with your escape, I don’t know how well your friend is trained, but I know I can trust you and Tianna to act accordingly”.  
  
”Xavier is _**SIS**_ , QA, I’m pretty sure he’s well trained in escape techniques and firearms and the like as well,” John said.

“It’s a shame we don’t have time to meet your friend, Upstairs would have preferred to, see if he’s trustworthy”.  
  
”If you can’t trust an **SIS** agent who can you trust?” John asked, “Xavier is an old college friend of mine, I trust him with my life”.  
  
”People change,” he said.

“Not Xavier,” said John “it’s I who’s changed not Xavier”.  
  
QA said “fair enough, now your car,” he said, “follow me”.  
  
He led John to an area where several cars sat and pointed to one that looked a little different to the others “ it has all the usual features, guns, ejector seat, sunroof, leather interior, infrared scans as per usual, bullet-resistant body, that sort of thing, camouflage, but this is the best thing” he said, “ it’s amphibious, can got to depths of about 200 feet and drive along the bottom of the ocean, you just put it in amphibious mode, it’s a prototype so try and bring it back in once piece John, you may need it to get out to the island where Tianna has been held, it should sit about four”.  
  
John nodded “I should be able to get that onto my ship,” he said, looking around it.

QA nodded and said, “your usual kit is already packed into it, suits, your gun and all that, like I said **Upstairs** is not exactly **_happy_** about you going in again on a mission that has been compromised once already and especially bringing in outside help”.  
  
”I _trust_ Xavier!” he said.

“Fair enough,” he said, “this will be delivered to your house, Upstairs wants to see you before you head off”.  
  
”Probably to chastise me again, thanks QA as per usual you’re outdone yourself”.  
  
”Be careful, John?” he said.

“I’m always careful,” he said.

He walked upstairs to meet both his boss and several other high ups and said: “Look I really _must_ rush”.  
  
NA (she was his boss, he didn't know what the NA stood for but he assumed it was her initials like QA was) said, “John, we just want to let you know that what you’re doing is highly against our regulations and rules”.  
  
”I **_know_ **that,” said Magius “fire me if you must, but I am not going to let Tianna die at the hands of those criminals”.  
  
”We’re afraid your _personal_ feelings for Tianna have clouded your judgement”.  
  
”She’s only a kid, Ok! I trained her I am not going to let her down or Withers” he said.  
  
”She knew the risks,” said NA.

“We all knew the risks,” he said, “Tianna most of all, Tianna would have done the same, and so would have Withers”.  
  
NA said, “this could very well end your service”.  
  
”I know, but my mind is made up, I won’t let you persuade me any differently,” he said.  
  
NA said, “and we don’t fully approve of you calling in outside help with this”.  
  
Magius said “tough”.  
  
NA continued unabated “we don’t know anything about this friend of yours, this **_Professor Xavier_** , how do we know he is trustworthy”.  
  
Magius said “as I told you he is an old college friend of mine, I thought him dead. But he is **SIS** and if we can’t even trust **SIS** who can we trust? **SIS** are our equals Off-world, we’re worked with them before”.  
  
”How do we know your friend is telling the truth about working for **SIS**?”  
  
”I cited his identity, I even checked myself, he’s **SIS** alright”.  
  
”We only have your word to go by,” she said.

“Well trust my word then; I swear Xavier is clear, if we come out of this alive I’ll introduce you”.  
  
" We will hold you to that promise,” she said “and run our own check on him then”, she paused “Tianna knew the risks though, this mission is more dangerous now than it was before with it been compromised as it has been, they know who you are now and for all, we know Tianna could have betrayed us by now if they have tortured her or something”.  
  
”Tianna would never betray us,” he said.

“Everyone has a breaking point,” NA said.

Magius said “I am going to go get Tianna and bring her back alive. I owe it to her, support me or not that is your decision, but, it won’t persuade me any differently, now if you please I promised Xavier and his team that I would meet them in the Muir Islands within two days, so I really must dash!”  
  
NA said, “Xavier _has_ a team?”  
  
”He’s **_SIS_**! of **course** , he has a team! Look I know we can trust him and his team, we will bring back Tianna alive this I swear”.  
  
NA said “very well 008 bring back Tianna alive if you can, and under no circumstances are you to put yourself at risk because of her if you can’t bring her back alive. Don’t try it!”  
  
”I promise,” he said, “Look NA I am sure I can though”.  
  
”And finish the mission don’t let your **_personal_ **feelings get in the way of your objective” she continued “ we have already been compromised with this one. We are only letting you do this because we still believe that somehow you can”.  
  
”I promise I won’t fail either you or Tianna” he vowed, “by Rassillon this I vow”.  
  
”Well yes, very well than 008,” she said, he had never told any of them that he was a Time Lord or who Rassillon was, he didn’t think they would understand if he did.

“Good, so may I go now,” he asked.  
  
”Yes, go,” she said, ‘and 008?”

“Yes, NA?” he said.  
  
”Be careful?” she said.

“I always am,” he said, leaving the building and walking towards his apartment building.

**M** eanwhile, Merlyn, Rastalin and Crysta had come to the end of the tunnel they had been swimming along and found it ended up in a vast sea cave that obviously led out to the open ocean.

Turning invisible should there be anyone else in there they surfaced and looked around in awe and realised that becoming invisible had been a good move.

They appeared to be in some form of secret underground parking ground as several boats and hovercraft seemed to be parked in the cave.

Merlyn said ** _Gee think this is what Magius was looking for_? **   
  
They had decided the best way to stay unseen was to talk telepathically as well, seeing there might be someone who could hear them if they spoke regularly.  
  


 _** Possibly but, it also could be some millionaires private retreat **_ Rastalin replied _** they might live in a house built into the cliff or something, and this is their garage_ **.  
  


** _Interesting garage_ ** Crysta said ** _but that may be the case, some of the planets Sal and I visited people tended to build into the cliffs or something_ **.  
  


Rastalin swam over to an overhang deciding it was the best place to stay hidden.   
  
They would still be visible to infrared scans or vision and this been Earth of the 30th century there were many races, including themselves who could see into the infrared spectrum, but, the overhang was low enough down in the water and would hide them reasonably well.

His siblings joined them, and they each took a handhold to watch.

They were all still in Merfolk form so they could basically sit there comfortably for quite some time and observe.

** _We could probably become visible you know_ ** Crysta said ** _we’re pretty well hidden. Most people would take us for Merfolk anyway if they saw us, Merfolk are uncommon, but they are known_ **.  
  
** _I rather not take that risk_ ** said Rastalin.

** _Look!_ ** Merlyn said then and hunkered down a bit more as several people came out of one of the other caves with a blindfolded and gagged human woman between them.

** _I don’t think this is some millionaires private garage_ ** Merlyn said** _that’s probably Tianna_ **.  
  
** _Well maybe we could rescue her_ ** said Crysta.

** _There are about a dozen of them and three of us_ ** Rastalin said ** _not a good idea Crys, no the better approach is we follow them to their base and see the way to get in and then report to Magius when he gets here_ * 

** _Could we swim that far_? ** She asked.

 _** In our semi-aquatic form yeah I think we could not to mention we have two hearts remember_? ** Rastalin said.

“Don’t run out of breath so quick?” Merlyn said, joining his twin, “besides at the moment we have gills to complement our lungs”.  
  
”OK if you think we can do it,” she said.

“We can do that,” said Merlyn.

“Well, let’s go then!” said Rastalin, “wait until they go then we’ll follow”.

“OK then,” said Merlyn.

**T** hey waited for the last hovercraft to go then took off after it at a reasonable distance so they wouldn’t be seen.

“Are you sure we can keep up?” Crysta asked her siblings.

“In this form and our two hearts I am pretty sure we can,” said Merlyn.

“How come we have two hearts anyway?” Crysta asked.  
  
”Ask the Time Lords, not us,” Rast said, “we’re only half Time Lord remembers?”

“A little more than half,” said Merlyn “pretty much full actually, I’ve **been** to Gallifrey remember? It’s like our two races were **_meant_** to merge”.  
  
” How do you know that then?” Rastalin asked.  
  
”They thought I was a Time Lord,” Merlyn said, “that maybe I was some weird alteration they had done in the future to themselves. After talking to Xavier, that’s pretty easy to believe, he’s from the future remember, Gallifrey’s future the one that was changed, and he was telling me that the Time Lords had been doing weird stuff like that to themselves to make themselves better soldiers to fight the war, towards the end, I think he’s been to the end and back again”.  
  
”That is what I don’t get,” Rastalin said “if Xavier is from the future the Doctor claimed he changed how come he’s still alive? And what does that make _us_? From the future or from the past?”  
  
  
  
”Good question and it’s not only Xavier remember? There’s Magius as well their from the same point in history remember?”  
  
”So does that make us from the future as well?” Crysta asked.

Merlyn shrugged “perhaps, but we were born here, remember? In this universe”.  
  
Crysta said, “then how come we’re alive?”  
  
”Parallel universe factor again I guess,” said Rastalin “we’ll probably never know all the answers, this whole thing with time makes my head spin anyway!”  
  
Merlyn said “we should dive they’ll see us otherwise” he indicated the pleasure craft that was bearing down on them.

“Oh yeah,” said Crysta diving under the water all they saw of her was her tail fin as she dove under.

Rast said “yep” he did the same and so did Merlyn, all the boat saw of them was their tail fins.

“That was a _big_ fish!” said the owner of the boat as he went past where the three of them had been a moment before.

“I don’t think it was a fish,” said his wife.

“Mermaids!” said their daughter excitedly “and I missed it!”  
  
”Mermaids?” said her brother “yeah, right!”  
  
Their mother said, “I wouldn’t be so fast to discount that, they say that Merfolk do exist in the waters, they're rarely seen, but it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Clearly, Muir Island has some Merfolk living in its environs”.  
  
”And we missed them!” the daughter said, “I always wanted to see a mermaid!”  
  
She hung over the side, looking dejected, and her mother patted her shoulder “ maybe if we look really hard we will see them again one day” she said.

“You think so”.

“Yes,” her mother said.

**U** nderwater the three siblings waited for the boat to pass over than resurfaced “that was close!” said Rastalin.

Merlyn was more interested in finding the hovercraft they were trying to follow and then spotted them, due to the traffic they hadn’t got too far away.

“You know I think I am getting used to this mermaid thing,” Crysta said.

Merlyn said “there they are! Come on before they get too far away!”  
  
Crysta said “you know I didn’t realise underwater was so beautiful! Did you see all of those coloured fish?”  
  
Rastalin said, “Crysta _come_ on”.  
  
Merlyn said, “it is beautiful we’ll have to do this again sometime and just enjoy been able to do it, but not right now”.  
  
”How long would you say we could keep this up?” Crysta asked.

“For as long as we like,” said Merlyn “the change is mainly cosmetic, and even with our somewhat limited shapeshifting abilities we can manage that for as long as we want”.  
  
Crysta said, “if we can regenerate do you think we could still Shapechange?”  
  
”Don’t see why not its part of our being?” Rastalin said, “comes on”.  
  
Merlyn said, “Lunn-Lunn said we mightn’t always be able to”.  
  
”Huh?”  
  
”Lunn-Lunn said that we mightn’t always be able to shapeshift if we regenerate, it’s a gamble at best, and even Tina and that say that we mightn’t always be able to do so, our next incarnation might be fully Time Lord” Merlyn explained.

Crysta said, “Oh, just how Time Lord are we?”  
  
Merlyn said, “enough so that Lunn-Lunn can’t see where one begins and one ends, it’s complicated Crys, we’re not like anyone else of our race, we’re different, our whole physiology is different”.  
  
Crysta said, “so we mightn’t always be able to Shapechange?”  
  
”Lunn-Lunn can’t be sure,” said Merlyn.

“Oh,” said Crysta.  
  
Merlyn dove down again and headed off after the hovercrafts, swimming ahead of his siblings that they had trouble keeping up with him.

“Whoa, slow down!” said Rastalin.

Merlyn said, “you two stop talking then!”  
  
They kept swimming to they came to what looked like a cave leading into a cliff on one of the smaller islands a fair way from the main Island, the three hovercrafts they had been following entered the cave and pulled up when they saw a massive iron gate been opened that covered the entire cave entrance and behind that they could see a beach with boat landings and what looked like a door into the cliff.

“Shikes I think we’re found the secret way into the base **_008_** was trying to get into!” Rastalin gasped as they followed the hovercrafts in.

And went to hide under one of the boat landings.

Merlyn said “yeah” he joined his two siblings.

The two men with the tied up girl got out of their hovercraft, talking to each other in what was probably Russian or something but, they could understand it as they still were under the influence of Tina’s _Tardis_ translation circuits to them it came out as Galactic standard.

They weren’t giving away much mainly what they were going to do with the girl if she didn’t cooperate and that they were going to take her to someone named Basilisk.

“That must be the mastermind,” said Merlyn quietly to his brother and sister in Gallifreyan, they had all been practising their Gallifreyan and were starting to get knowledgeable with it, but, it was still a form of pigeon Gallifreyan.

“Basilisk very John Foxx villain name,” said Rastalin.

Merlyn said, “what I don’t understand is why Tianna doesn’t try to get away on her own”.  
  
”Why?” Crysta asked.

“She’s a Super” Merlyn replied, “you can tell by her aura”.  
  
”She is?” Crysta said who didn’t have her twin brother’s ability to read auras via the Force yet.

“Yeah she is,” said Rastalin, who had to concentrate a bit first, he wasn’t quite as sensitive to auras as Merlyn was.

“I don’t think she’s a very powerful one,” said Merlyn “which may be the reason, or she’s like some of the Supers, certain metals or something cripples her powers, and they know it”.  
  
”Like Kryptonite does with Superman?” Crysta asked.

“Well yeah,” said Merlyn “although Kryptonite doesn’t exist, but yeah the same idea, maybe it’s silver or something with her”.  
  
”And like lead limits our powers a bit,” Rastalin said.  
  
”Yeah,” said Merlyn.

“Lead cripples your powers?” Crysta asked.

“No it doesn’t cripple them, but if you’re in an area that has a lot of lead in it, your connection to the force is limited somewhat,” Rastalin said.

“Oh,” she said.

Rastalin said, “well whatever it is she can’t seem to rescue herself, maybe **_008_** will know the reason”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “yeah”.  
  
Rastalin looked around using the force to get a read on everyone and said: “she’s not the only super here, and also we aren’t the only Force Users.”

”Pardon? Jedaini working for criminals?” Crysta asked.  
  
”I didn’t say they were Jadai, I said **_Force Users_** ”, he indicated a tall slim man overseeing the unloading of one of the boats “That one”.  
  
”Dark Adepts?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Uh, huh,” said Rastalin.

“Uh, what are you talking about?” Crysta asked.

“Dark Adepts” Merlyn replied," _there is no **Light** or **Dark** side_ but some choose to use it for darker means, thus they get the name Dark Adepts".  
  
”I don’t think he’s the only one either,” said Rastalin “I sense some more somewhere”.  
  
”Me too,” said Merlyn.

Crysta looked at her two brothers; these were the times that she was reminded that her two brothers were of the Order and that she _wasn’t_.

Rastalin said, “we have to get involved then, and we have to warn **_008_** that he is going to need us to help him”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “yeah”.  
  
” _ **Whoa**_! You mean we have Supers and Dark Force Adepts to contend with here?” Crysta asked.

“Uh, huh,” said Merlyn.

“ _Cool_!” said Crysta.

Merlyn said, “it’s not ‘ _ **cool**_ ’ Crysta”.

Rastalin said, “We should get out of here soon before he realises we’re here”.

“Good idea,” said Merlyn, going for the dive and his two siblings followed him.

They didn’t realise that their tailfins had been noticed as the Dark Adept said: “what was that!”

“What was what?” said another.

“There was movement under that landing,” he said he said going over to the where the three were and just catching a glimpse of their moving silhouettes under the water due to the artificial lighting in the cave.

“There, did you see that!” he said to the other man ‘we have been spied on!”  
  
The other man looked as he caught sight of a tailfin moving away out towards the entrance of the cave.

“It’s a fish , probably a dolphin or a shark they sometimes get caught in the caves,” he said.

“It was no fish!” he said.

The other man said, “sure looked like a fish!”  
  
”Fish don’t have signatures like that,” he said.

“Merfolk then, there are rumours that they live in the waters around the island,” the other man said.

“ ** _Merfolk_**?” he asked.

“Yes Mermaids and that, can’t say I’ve ever seen one myself but others claim that they have”.

“Or it was the hostage's friends,” he said.

“Well, whatever it was we’re lost them now,” he said.

He said, “they’ll be back”.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SIS stands for Special Investigations Services, like Intelligence. But, are part of the Galactic Alliance, so concentrate more on Off world rather than Earth


	8. Muir Islands- July 16th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids continue their impromptu adventure

_**M**_ eanwhile, the three kids had swum back out into the open water and decided to stay underwater for as long as they could until they were well away.   
  
“I think we got spotted!” said Merlyn to his siblings as they took a break in the seaweed surrounding the cave to get their breath back.  
  
“They wouldn’t have been able to see much,” said Rastalin “but maybe we should stay underwater for as long as our lungs allow us to”.  
  
”We’re breathing through gills at the moment,” Crysta said.  
  
“True but still we aren’t used to this,” said Rastalin.  
  
Merlyn said, “let’s put as much distance as we can between them and us”.  
  
They started to swim again, staying underwater this time admiring the beauty around them there were lots of colourful corals and seaweed as well as fish and other sea creatures.  
  
Underneath boats they were safe as noone could see them; they frolicked in the currents and even gambolled a bit with some dolphins, and chased fish and even ran into some divers who were as surprised to see them as they were.  
  
They swam through a fish nursery surrounded by baby fish and avoided a couple of fishing lines and even hitched a ride with some giant sea turtles and a Ray, they got close to some harmless sharks and swam past them as safe as anything the sharks clearly taking them for fellow sea creatures.  
  
They swam under a baby whale and its mother who was swimming close to shore and saw some giant seahorses, the horse-sized ones, and laughing they chased them and then mounted a couple and rode them for a while.  
  
They swam close by to a sunken military-looking boat.   
  
They kept swimming past it, simply enjoying the freedom that Merfolk form gave them.  
  
“Hey, look at that!” said Merlyn as they saw a shape laying on the bottom half covered in seaweed, they swam down and gasped as they saw what it was.  
  
‘Is that what I think it is?” Crysta asked as she felt her hearts skip a beat.  
  
Merlyn said “yes! Oh my god, what is one of them doing down here at the bottom of the ocean”.  
  
Rastalin said “it must have fallen through time and ended up here at the bottom of the ocean! It’s as dead as a doorknob”.  
  
Merlyn went closer to it, and saw that he was right but seeing that pepper pot shape with a sucker, a gun, and an eye made him nervous.  
  
“It is one of them, isn’t it?” Crysta asked.  
  
“A dead one but yeah,” said Merlyn.  
  
“Thank the Gods,” said Rastalin “it’s dead”.  
  
Merlyn nodded and said, “come on”.  
  
They continued swimming and tried to forget what they had seen. However, they also saw a couple of cars lying on the ocean floor and a dead Scorpionaid war machine as well as a light aeroplane.  
  
“Gee,” said Rastalin as they continued swimming.  
  
Suddenly they found themselves all caught in a net.   
  
Before they could do anything about it, they felt themselves been hauled out of the water and lifted and then lowered and dumped on a hard surface.  
  
“Well lookee what we have here! Now that’s quite a catch!” came a voice.  
  
“Looks like we netted ourselves a mermaid!” said another.  
  
“And her two brothers!” said a third.  
  
They were surrounded in men who were clad as fisherman who were all looking at them in surprise.  
  
Another man came out and saw them and said: “Let them go, Merfolk are people too”.  
  
“You know they say you can capture a mermaid and make her yours by cutting off a lock of her hair, and she’ll be yours forever.” Said the first man “reckon I’ve bagged me a woman!”  
  
The captain said, “that’s a load of superstitious crap, and besides, she’s only a kid!”  
  
”Uh could you please let us go?” Merlyn said, “erm our fault I guess but …..”  
  
“You speak **_English_**?” the captain asked.  
  
“Yes,” said Merlyn retaking his proper form.  
  
The captain said, “let them go”.  
  
The net was lifted off them once it was off all three of them had regained their proper forms and were once again three Dorenganzan teenagers in swimsuits.  
  
Merlyn stood up and stretched “uh thanks,” he said.  
  
Rastalin asked “where are we? I think we’re gotten a little further than we intended to go!”  
  
Crysta smoothed her hair made it go back to its usual length and silver-gold colour and said: “uh we aren’t Merfolk”.  
  
The captain said, “you sure **_looked_** like Merfolk”.  
  
Rastalin indicated his antennae “Merfolk don’t have these they don’t need them”.  
  
The captain looked at their antennae and burst out laughing as he suddenly realised what they had bagged as the three kids retracted their antennae.  
  
“I forgot we could do that!” he said with a grin “it’s been so long!”  
  
”Uh, Captain Kingsley?” his first mate asked.  
  
He laughed again and then said “these three aren’t Merfolk men! Their _Dorenganza_! Like I am, we’re shapeshifters! Mind you I haven’t shifted shape for so long I practically have forgotten how to! And I’ve lived here so long I almost forgot I was Dorenganza! Come on kids we’ll get you something to drink, and I’ll take you home.”  
  
“They’re not Merfolk?” the first man asked the one who’d been eyeing Crysta.  
  
“They’re no more Merfolk than you or I am Dave! Their same race, me and the wife are, although judging by that accent you all have, you don’t live on Earth”.  
  
“Oh no, we’re uh Xanaduen,” said Merlyn.  
  
He nodded “come on, let’s find you all something better to wear, and I’ll take you home, you’re on the main island I take it”.  
  
“You’re an alien?” His first mate asked astounded who was a Half Elf.  
  
Elves, Halflings, Dwarves, Gnomes, and suchlike were what was known as the _Elder Races_ on Earth, they weren’t classed as aliens but as Earthlings, as they had always been there, living alongside the Humans and were almost as numerous.  
  
Captain Kingsley chuckled “I’m Dorenganza just like these young rascals are, we’re shapeshifters, but I’ve lived here so long I’ve almost forgotten I was Dorenganza! Come on kids” he turned to them “I’m Captain Brian Kingsley I run an oyster farm near here as well as an independent fishing business”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “I am Consular Merlyn Asturian; this is my brother Guardian Rastalin Asturan and our sister Senior Adept Crystal Asturan” using Xavier’s adopted surname.  
  
He looked at the twins “Adept Knights who are Dorenganza?”  
  
”Uh yeah,” said Merlyn.  
  
“Isn’t that kind of rare for members of our race?” he asked.  
  
“Yes it is,” said Merlyn “look we’re sorry we caused so much havoc we didn’t mean to get caught in your net, we uh, were just having some fun”.  
  
”We’re on Vacation,” Rastalin said.  
  
“Well we were,” said Merlyn “before we got stuck here because of the war”.  
  
Captain Kingsley chuckled “no need to apologise, boys, I know what our race is like, come on let’s get you all something to eat and drink, and I’ll take you home”.  
  
”Thank you, Captain,” said Rastalin.  
  
He turned to his men “turn the boat around and head back towards the marina I’ll take these children home in my boat we need to unload”.  
  
His first mate said, “I still can’t believe you’re an alien, I’ve known you all of my life!”  
  
Captain Kingsley said, “Dorenganza aren’t considered alien, we’re Elder Race as well, we’re classed as near-human, and like I said I have lived here for so long I’ve almost forgotten I was Dorenganza!”  
  
”But we grew up together!” he said.  
  
Captain Kingsley said, “that we did like I said not that alien”.  
  
“OH,” he said, “uh what do you really look like then?”  
  
Captain Kingsley looked down at himself “like this!”  
  
”I just thought you had Elven blood in you! Like I do!” he said as Captain Kingsley looked pretty much default Dorenganza form, slightly elven.  
  
“No I’m Dorenganza,” he said, “look Peter see to it that we get to the marina I’ll get these kids something to drink and something decent to wear it’s starting to get a little cool of the nights of late.”  
  
“Yes, sir,” he said.  
  
”I’ll explain everything to you later over a beer, Ok?” he said.  
  
“Ok,” he said.  
  
Captain Kingsley took the three children into his cabin and rooted around in a chest and pulled out two pairs of overalls and some trousers and a couple of shirts.  
  
“Here put these on before you all get cold this maybe the tropics, but it does get a little cool of a night”.  
  
”Thanks Captain,” said Merlyn pulling on the overalls and the shirt.  
  
He nodded “where you all staying I’ll take you home in my boat”.  
  
”At the Hotel Royale although we’ll probably move soon,” Rastalin said.  
  
He nodded and gave them all some hot chocolate and said: “like I said I’m an Oyster farmer and an independent fisherman the wife and me, we have two kids of our own our youngest is just about your age Merlyn”.  
  
Merlyn said, “we’re only recently achieved full Adept Knight Status”.  
  
He nodded “always wanted to be of the Order, but I didn’t have the required disciplines, it is an **_honour_ **to meet you both”.  
  
”Most of our race don’t,” said Merlyn with a shrug.  
  
He said, “you two are a rarity amongst our kind”.  
  
Merlyn said, “I know, look we’re really sorry for causing such a stir we just had a swim and admiring the ocean, and we got a little carried away, we took Merfolk form so we wouldn’t have to worry about diving gear and that”.  
  
Captain Kingsley chuckled “I can believe that I did the same when I was your age, and so did my children, why bother with stuff like diving gear and that when you can just grow gills and a tail and explore the ocean bottom”.  
  
“Yeah,” said Crysta “I was kinda enjoying been a mergirl”.  
  
He laughed and said, “I can understand that look we’re coming up to my farm in a few minutes, relax, dry out and drink those drinks once we’re docked I’ll take you home in my boat”.  
  
”Thank you, Captain Kingsley,” said Merlyn.  
  
He left them in his cabin and went to Dave and said “leave her alone, she’s not a mermaid right! She’s an Adept Knight Apprentice”.  
  
”Sure looked like a mermaid,” he said.  
  
“Dorenganza are shapeshifters,” said Captain Kingsley “she was just in mermaid form taking in the sights”.  
  
Dave said, “she’s a dish, though!”  
  
”She is also about 16 years old so leave her alone!” he said.  
  
“Are you sure she’s not a mermaid Captain?” he asked.  
  
“No she’s not and what you heard about Mermaids is superstitious crap anyway! Merfolk are of the Elder Races and deserve some respect!” he said “she’s not a Mermaid! She’s Dorenganza”.  
  
“Oh,” he said.  
  
_**A**_ few minutes later they docked in the area where the Oyster farms were which were mainly around mangroves and that in the shallower water.  
  
Captain Kingsley said, “come on I’ll take you to meet the missus and then get you home”.  
  
”You have an Australian accent,” said Rastalin then.  
  
He chuckled “you’ll find that most of us do around here, this is our community”. He waved his hand to indicate their surroundings, although it was a little hard to see as it was starting to get dark.  
  
But what they could see seemed to be a collection of houseboats, houses on stilts and the like kind of more like a permanent shantytown and the water had all these racks and that in them.  
  
Merlyn looked around in amazement and said: “gee, where are we?”  
  
“You on Tanhu one of the smaller islands of the Muir Island rings, most of us are either Oyster farmers or fisherman here, you’ll also find a lot of the natives on Tanhu as well, and they work the farms and the ocean with us”.  
  
“Gee,” said Merlyn “need any help with the crop. I’ve always wondered what Oyster Farmers did!”  
  
He laughed “if you’re got any spare time and would like to help your quite welcome to, we’d give you a fair day’s work, come on I’ll take you to meet the Missus”.  
  
He led them along one of the bridges to a fair-sized wooden and tile house in Muir Islands tropical weather you rarely needed much more even in the colder months of the year.  
  
Merlyn said, “thank you for rescuing us, Captain Kingsley”.  
  
”Not a problem,” he said.  
  
He led them upstairs and called out “Shannon looked what I caught!”  
  
A woman looked out, like Kingsley she looked like she had elven blood in her as well and she said: “well, well, bring them inside!”  
  
He led them inside, a well-maintained house and said to the woman “caught them in our fishing nets”.  
  
Crysta grinned and said, “They thought they’d gotten themselves some Merfolk!”  
  
Brian said, “the three of them were swimming around in merform taking in the sights, we caught them in the net”.  
  
”You poor things you must be freezing!” Shannon said, “here I’ll find you all some better clothes and give you something to eat and then Brian can take you home”.  
  
“That’s Ok Mrs Kingsley,” said Merlyn, he then introduced them all.  
  
“You’re Adept Knights?” she asked in amazement.  
  
“Uh huh,” said Rastalin drinking the hot drink she had given them all.  
  
Mrs Kingsley chuckled “good lord, call me Shannon! Mrs Kingsley makes me feel old!”   
  
“You may as well call me Brian then,” said Brian “you’re probably all old enough to do that”.  
  
Shannon said, “if you want to take a shower, feel free to, you must be all cold and covered with salt by now!”  
  
”We’re not actually that cold, but a shower would be nice,” Crysta said, she looked at her two brothers ** why aren’t we cold? **  
  
** Slightly lower body temperature and two hearts ** Merlyn replied ** we could probably survive sub-zero temperatures for a limited time **.  
  
** Oh ** she said then she said: “a shower would be nice Mrs Kingsley”.  
  
About an hour and a half later, clad in better fitting clothes (both our children won’t miss them, Shannon had said) they went back outside. Captain Brian led them to his personal boat, and they all got in.  
  
“So where were you all staying then?” he asked.  
  
”The main island,” said Merlyn, “at the Hotel Royale”.  
  
”Ok,” he said, starting up the boat “this shouldn’t take long, but you did swim a fair way”.  
  
” Clearly,” said Merlyn surprised at how far they had swum.  
  
He chuckled and said, “easily done”.  
  
Crysta leaned over the side of the boat and said: “God these Islands are beautiful at night!”  
  
Brian said, “there’s a magic here young one, once you feel it you never want to leave”.  
  
Merlyn said “I know” he joined Crysta at the side and looked over and said, “Hey look, there’s a pod of humpbacks over there!”  
  
Brian nodded “their everywhere all over the islands, the whales and the dolphins love these waters I think they fall prey to the magic as well”.  
  
”How many people live on Tanhu?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Less than a thousand, probably about 500 if that, we’re one of the smaller outlying islands. Most of us are either Oyster Farmers or fishermen. I include the natives in that number, we have a reasonably sizeable native population on Tanhu in comparison to the rest of us, there’s a real sense of a close-knit community out here, seeing boats are our primary means of transport”.  
  
“Gee, I could feel that,” said Merlyn “see any Merfolk, real ones I mean?”  
  
”Occasionally the Merfolk are shy,” he said, “you’d see Merfolk out here more than you would on the main Island, but yeah I’ve seen some”.  
  
”Cool!” said Crysta.  
  
“Sometimes you can hear them singing on still nights,” he said, “I love this place. I think I succumbed to the magic long ago”.  
  
They drove along past a lighthouse, and Brian said: “that’s old John’s lighthouse he and his family had ran that lighthouse for generations!”  
  
“What’s the Island with the old fortress on it?” Merlyn asked.  
  
“That there is Halau, that Fortress is thousands of years old, not many people live on that island, many say it’s haunted, and then there is Kaladaren, _the Island of Death_ , or so the natives call it, they found the remains of an ancient civilisation on that island about 900 years ago, that’s another island that doesn’t have many people on it as well, there’s also they say the Hidden Island, one where an entire civilisation lives on it to this day where dinosaurs and humans co-exist, I’ve never seen it, and I don’t know whether it’s a legend or not, but it’s somewhere in the ring but invisible to prying eyes”.  
  
“Gosh!” said Merlyn “I didn’t realise that there was so much to the Muir Islands”.  
  
He laughed “ many don’t, most people come here for their holidays and don’t really go exploring the rest of the Islands, if you’re going to be stuck here for a while due to the war take some time out and explore a bit there is so much to see and do here”.  
  
”Yeah,” Merlyn said.  
  
They rode along for a bit more till they came to the marina on the main Island.  
  
“Here you go you three, safe and sound,” he said, docking his boat so they could get off “ hire yourself a boat sometime and come visit us out on Tanhu”.  
  
”Thank you, Captain Kingsley,” said Rastalin getting off the boat and helping Crysta off, “you have been most kind,”.  
  
”Not a problem kids,” he said, “see you some time, huh”.  
  
”You bet!” Crysta said as he undocked his boat and started it up again and they all waved to him till they could no longer see him.  
  
Once he was gone, they headed back towards the Hotel Royale and went to their rooms.  
  
Tina saw them first and said “Gosh kids where have you been! It’s like nine o clock at night!”  
  
Merlyn said, “I didn’t realise we had a curfew!”  
  
Tina laughed and said “you don’t but gee where have you been! We found your stuff on the beach but no sign of you!”  
  
”Damm! We forgot about our stuff!” Crysta said, “it was all there wasn’t it?”  
  
”With a Vortasaur guarding it! I don’t think any robber would want to get close to it and risk angering a 3-foot long-winged creature with big teeth!” Tina said, “yes it was all there, Vorz makes a good guard dog, don’t worry he’s been fed and the last I saw of him he was curled up asleep on your bed”.  
  
Crysta chuckled and said, “good old Vorz!”  
  
”Xavier has been worried though,” Tina said.  
  
“Arh there you all are!” came Xavier’s voice as he walked into the shared standard room that interconnected their rooms “where have you all been?”  
  
”Swimming we uh got a bit carried away” Merlyn replied.  
  
“Clearly,” said Xavier “I was worried that you’d been captured or something”.  
  
”Dad, we are 18 years old and fully fledged Adept Knights,” said Rastalin, “I think we can look after ourselves”.  
  
”I know, I know,” said Xavier with a sigh “guess I’ve just been paranoid, it’s just that I lost you all once and I don’t want to lose you again”.  
  
“You won’t,” said Merlyn.  
  
“We found some information out that Magius might want to know when he gets here,” said Rastalin.  
  
“You did,” he asked.  
  
“Yes, we followed some people back to their base. I think that’s what Magius was doing in these islands. Tianna’s still alive, well I think it was Tianna, they had a bound and gagged woman with them, and were taking her to someone named Basilisk”.  
  
”Where was this?” Xavier asked.  
  
“There’s an island named Halau it has an old fortress on it, I think that’s who Magius was after,” said Merlyn “they're got a whole secret base in a cave on Halau and an area where they go to, to park their vehicles right here on Muir Island!”  
  
Tina said, “you followed these men?”  
  
”Yeah that’s how come we got lost,” Merlyn said “that’s why we’re back so late! Ouch!” as Tina was rubbing sunburn cream on his sunburnt shoulders as they were all reasonably fair-skinned and as a result were all a little sunburnt.  
  
Tina said, “sorry, Merlyn, how did you all get so sunburnt?”  
  
”Been kids I wouldn’t wager?” said Xavier with a chuckle “don’t worry, you’ll heal quickly”.  
  
Tina said, “ok be careful, you’re all going to have sore shoulders tonight and backs”.  
  
Salmarian said, “I know what that’s like I have a redheads skin as well”.  
  
“We all do!” said Tina “ also, most Timelords have fair skin!”  
  
“The Doctor never gets sunburnt!” Crysta complained.  
  
”Maybe because he doesn’t go swimming in the sun like you lot do!” Tina said with a chuckle “don’t worry I’ve had my share of sunburn as well” she pulled down the sleeve of her shirt to show a slightly sunburnt shoulder as well.  
  
“Oh,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Sunbaking topless on the roof” Tina said with a grin.  
  
“You **_weren’t_**!” Rastalin gasped.  
  
”Yes, I was!” said Tina with a grin, she said, “ how about we all go down the beach bar and get ourselves all a cocktail or something?”  
  
”Sounds good,” said Salmarian “you know this is really starting to feel like a vacation, how about you X?”  
  
”Yes that does sound like a good idea,” said Xavier getting up; they noticed he had swapped his usual garb for a tropical print shirt and jeans and Sal was in a tropical print shirt and cut off denim, Tina was in cut-offs, a singlet top with a light shirt over the top.  
  
The kids were all still in their borrowed clothes which for the boys were cut off jeans and tee-shirts, and Crysta was in shorts and a singlet top, which she also pulled a light shirt over.  
  
Merlyn hung their wet swimmers over the balcony and joined his friends.  
  
They left the hotel and walked down to the Cabana bar, which was on the beach and was full of people, native dancers, and exotic looking cocktails.  
  
Tina walked in, followed by the kids and after asking them what they wanted, got them all drinks. However, Crysta’s was a non-alcoholic cocktail, seeing she was accompanied by an adult they didn’t really mind her been in there.  
  
Tina spied their friends and went over handing a Guinness to Xavier, a Cascade to Salmarian and put her own Midori based cocktail on the table, the kids also all sat down.  
  
“Thanks,” said Xavier indicating the Guinness.  
  
“No problem,” she said, “so when’s Magius contacting us?”  
  
”He said he’d be here sometime tomorrow,” said Xavier “and we should probably call him John, not Magius here”.  
  
”I still can’t believe that 008 is a friend of yours,” said Rastalin “and that you weren’t kidding when you said that John Foxx was a Time Lord!”  
  
Xavier chuckled and said, “well actually I didn’t know it was Magius”.  
  
”But 008!” said Rastalin.  
  
Xavier said, “it does suit him, though doesn’t it?”  
  
”He was a soldier, right?” Merlyn asked.  
  
“Yes during the Time Wars, I was the diplomat he was the soldier, but he didn’t force regenerate himself to make himself into a better soldier like many of our people did towards the end, some of the things they did to themselves!” he shuddered “ no Magius refused to do that”.  
  
“So that was actually true?” Tina asked, amazed.  
  
“Yes it was,” said Xavier “you two don’t really know what it was like though, you’re from a different time to me and Magius and even our time probably doesn’t exist anymore either, but the truth is to us it still happened, and we still remember it, we were there, I don’t know how or why but to us it happened. Some of the things our people did to themselves were almost well barbaric and wrong, in a way. It Is probably better that, that future was possibly changed, we would have lost everything that we stood for had it gone on. We were losing the war when Magius and I both ended up in this Universe, but I don’t know how far it was from the end, not far I think, and in a way, I am glad it was possibly changed.”  
  
“Even though it meant the loss of both our people and our world?” Salmarian asked.  
  
“Yes even that,” said Xavier, “maybe it is better that way that we fade into legend,” he paused and continued “even though the cost was high I still believe he did the right thing.”  
  
Tina nodded “do you think he’ll ever remember?”  
  
Xavier shrugged “maybe he shouldn’t”.  
  
Tina said, “yeah maybe it will be better if he doesn’t”.  
  
”Hi you six” came a familiar voice and they all looked up as Magius strolled up to them.  
  
“Hello, we weren’t expecting you till tomorrow,” said Tina.  
  
He sat down and said, “I got a fast ship”.  
  
”You have your own ship?” Xavier asked.  
  
He nodded “it’s basically a small Corvette, but I’ve added a few modifications to it, I salvaged what was left of my Tardis and modified my ship with it, it’s not as good as a Tardis, but it does the job”.  
  
Xavier said “Oh”.  
  
He shrugged “couldn’t leave all that technology lying about so I altered my ship, that ship is all I have left now”.  
  
Xavier said, “makes sense, maybe I should do the same”.  
  
He said, “maybe you should, so here I am, the Muir Islands are beautiful aren’t they, I’m thinking of buying here actually”.  
  
Xavier nodded “yes, they are, finding out what you need?”  
  
Magius nodded “HQ’s not happy on how I’ve handled this whole thing actually, but they are willing to let me do it my way, I told them about you, and although not happy they are willing to let me try it my way, so here I am”.  
  
”I thought you weren’t going to mention us?” Tina said.  
  
Magius said, “I didn’t; I only told them about Xavier”.  
  
”Oh,” said Tina.  
  
Salmarian said, “I think the kids have got something to tell you”.  
  
Magius looked at the three of them and said: “you didn’t try and take these men on yourself, did you?”  
  
” **No**!” said Merlyn “but is Tianna a short dark haired woman, who’s a super?”  
  
”Yes, she is,” he said, “you see her?”  
  
”Well yeah, she’s still alive but how come she can’t help herself?”  
  
Magius said, “where!”  
  
”On Halau,” said Merlyn.  
  
“You’ve been to Halau?” he asked.  
  
”Well is that where your quarry is?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Yes,” he said, “look you haven’t gone and gotten yourselves in trouble, have you?”  
  
”No!” said Merlyn “but we found how they get in and out of the base! And that’s where their taken Tianna”.  
  
”Ok then,” he said.  
  
“But how come Tianna can’t get away then,” Merlyn asked, “if she’s a Super?”  
  
Magius said, “you noticed that about her, huh?”  
  
”We’re Adept Knights,” said Merlyn “so yeah we did”.  
  
Magius said, “her powers are fairly mild, just enough to give her an edge that she sometimes needs, much like me been a Time Lord does, but her powers can be crippled by iron, they probably realise that and are crippling her powers”.  
  
Rastalin said, “there are also some Dark Adepts with them”.  
  
”Dark Adepts?” said Magius.  
  
“Dark Adepts, Adepts who use their powers for less honourable means,” said Rastalin, “you are going to need us to take them down”.  
  
”You’re kidding me, right?” said Magius.  
  
Tina said, “not when it comes to the Order!”  
  
Merlyn said, “we don’t kid when it comes to the Order Magius”.  
  
Rastalin said “every Jedai Knight knows that they have to be dealt with, and we are taught how to deal with them, Magius. We aren’t kidding when it comes to the Order, you are going to need us to take the Siath out! Trust us on this one”.  
  
Magius said, “are you sure you can?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “technically, we are ready to do such things, is there a Jedaini Temple on the island?”  
  
The Jedaini Order technically wasn’t a religion, not really, many called it a pseudo-religion, due to the fact those of the Order were surrounded in mysticism and their powers seemed mystical, it was more of a Code to live by, kind of like the ancient code Knights lived by during medieval times, but, their academies and places of learning were called temples.  
  
“I believe there is one yes,” he said, “but HQ isn’t happy that I’ve called outside help in with Xavier, let alone the Jedaini Order!”.  
  
Merlyn said “we’re not, but Tilan and I need to go bone up on how to deal with Dark Adepts so we can be useful to the rest of you and learn how to protect the rest of you from their tricks,” he shrugged “Technically we are qualified to deal with Dark Adept Knights, but we haven’t actually been tested in that yet, not in real life and we need some advice”.  
  
”Oh,” he said, “look I really hate dragging you kids into this”.  
  
”Magius we’re not **_kids_** ,” said Rastalin sounding unusually serious for him “we are fully fledged Jedai and to some extent even battle-tested, and we’re also Lieutenant Grade one, we _ **aren’t**_ kids anymore!”  
  
Tina said, “they speak the truth”.  
  
“Your junior officers in the Alliance as well?” he asked.  
  
“Yes,” said Merlyn “we aren’t just a pair of overenthusiastic kids you know! Yes we’re young and yes we’re somewhat inexperienced, but, we’re in the middle of a war, and that’s forced us to grow up somewhat. I am a Jedai Knight Consular, and Rast’s a Jedai Knight Guardian, we aren’t Apprentices anymore either!”  
  
Tina said “yes”.  
  
Merlyn said, “you deal with the crims we’ll deal with the Adepts!”  
  
Magius said, “I didn’t even know there were some Adepts amongst them”.  
  
”Not Adepts, Dark Adepts.” Rastalin said, “we’ll deal with them!”  
  
Merlyn said, “it’s our duty to the Order to do so!”  
  
Tina said, “nothing will convince them from doing otherwise, I know the Adept Knights, I’ve lived amongst them for several years now, and when it comes to Dark Adept Knights nothing in the verse can stop them!”  
  
”Ok,” said Magius “very well if you think you can take them on”.  
  
”There is no question about it!” said Rastalin “Magius nothing you can say will convince us otherwise it is our duty to take on the Dark Adept”.  
  
Tina said, “word of advice Magius when it comes to the Adept Knights Order let Rastalin and Merlyn handle it”.  
  
”Well, Ok,” he said.  
  
“Trust them on this,” said Salmarian “I’ve worked with Adepts; they police their own and have always done so”.  
  
”Ok,” Magius said “I’ve always telling HQ to get a couple of Adepts in as well, Tianna’s a Super, and she isn’t the only one, but we have no Adepts, not yet”.  
  
Tina said, “Adept Knights are everywhere. I am surprised there isn’t any in Intelligence!”.  
  
Merlyn shrugged “maybe they don’t like the fact that we are a law unto ourselves in many cases, we police our own and have always done so”.  
  
”I’ve noticed that,” said Magius “we’re teamed up with the Order on occasion, but, we’re never actually _recruited_ any of you”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of this chapter with the Oyster Farmers was inspired from a quirky Australian movie I saw called 'Oyster Farmer' which I loved I am guessing that seems a little odd due to the time this is set in but well....it's my alternate Earth so it got added.


	9. July 17th, 2947- Muir Islands- Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys seek advice, the adults catch up Crystal gets asked on a date.

Merlyn and Rastalin drove their hired car down to the Adept Knights Academy on Muir Island the next morning to seek advice on how to fight Siath.

They had dressed accordingly in their full Adept Knight robes, carrying their lightsabres, and wearing their badge of office and their Starfleet pip so they would be taken seriously.

They parked their car outside and got out and stood outside the temple, getting their nerve up this was the first time they had actually gone to a Temple since they had achieved full Knight status. They felt slightly odd standing outside without Casamir by their side and their hair free of their apprentice braids.

They knew that they had every right to be here and would be welcomed and given access to any information they wanted, but, it just felt so weird being here by themselves.

Merlyn adjusted his robes brown over cream, a stark contrast to Rastalin’s black over grey.

“Let’s do this,” said Rastalin, who seemed more at ease than Merlyn felt.

“Are you as nervous as I am?” Merlyn asked his twin.

“Yes,” he replied, “come on we can do this”.  
”Ok,” said Merlyn as they went up to the doors of the temple, and bowing slightly as they entered into the foyer.

Inside the foyer were pictures and statues of past Knights and their deeds.

Merlyn signed both he and Rastalin in using their proper names, and said: “so where do we go from here?”  
  
A senior Master came up to them, and they both bowed to show their respect.

“How may I help you,” he asked.

Rastalin took over and replied, “I’m Guardian Tilanthalas Asturan, and this is my brother Consular Quinawah Asturan, we come seeking knowledge and a little advice.”

The Master nodded “I am Master Soong how I may help you child?” he asked.  
  
Rastalin said, “we need some advice about the Dark Adept Knights and how to fight them”.

Master Soong nodded “of course follow me” he led them through the temple “something troubles you, my children, may I know what it is?”  
  
Merlyn said, “some Dark Adept Knights have captured a friend of a friend, we need some help and a little advice on how to deal with Dark Adept Knights, we haven’t actually come across any, and we feel somewhat inexperienced on how to deal with them”.  
  
Master Soong nodded “I see your trouble, come I will see if I can help you somehow”.  
  
”Thank you, Master Soong,” said Rastalin.

**M** eanwhile, Tina, Salmarian, Magius and Xavier were all down in the restaurant of the motel and enjoying the buffet-style continental breakfast that it offered, Crysta had taken Vorz for a walk.

“I sure hope Crysta can keep that Vortasaur under her command,” said Magius.

Tina laughed “it’s only a baby and Crysta seems to have a rapport with him, she seems to have taken quite a liking to him actually”.

Salmarian shrugged “it’s a gift, Crysta’s good with animals, she always has been, she’s been my travelling companion for nigh on 40 years, and she is, I have found well at finding things, and with animals, it’s a gift she has”.  
  
”Poor old Rast he seems to miss out on the gifts of his siblings, Merlyn’s an Interfacer and good at fixing things and Crysta’s good with animals and good at finding things, what’s Rast’s unique talent?” Xavier asked.

Tina shrugged “I think Rast’s gift is somewhat more subtle, he’s a natural-born leader, and I think his gifts are more combat orientated, it’s been Rastalin whose come up with the fancy moves and that for him and his twin, he’s also has a knack for tactics”.

“Oh,” said Xavier.

“Probably gets that off his Dad,” said Magius, “Xanian here was a genius when it came to tactics.”

Xavier said, “I just seemed to know what was the best move, which is probably why I ended up in command of a dreadnought; people just seemed to follow me”.  
  
”Yep, that’s where Tilanthalas gets it,” said Tina, “Tilan’s always been the more martial one out of the twins. Quins the Technical one, Tilan’s the Tactical one”.  
  
”So that’s his special gift?” Xavier asked.

“Looks like it,” said Tina “he takes after his dad in that respect”.  
  
Xavier sighed “I guess”.  
  
”And Crysta?”

Xavier shrugged “she takes after Aeryn then, she was a scientist that was one of the reasons why she became my Companion, and clearly Crys takes after her mother”.  
  
”And Quin?”  
  
”Quinn’s himself,” Xavier said.

Tina said “Quins always been the quiet one, the one that Casamir tended to protect at times, shy, quiet, gentle Quinawah. But I think in a way I know Quin in some ways Cas doesn’t, Quinawah has an inner strength that shows up when he needs it, he always has, I know both boys pretty well, and I know that to be so”.  
  
Xavier said, “I wonder if I ever will?”  
  
Salmarian said, “you seem to be doing pretty well considering the years you’re spent apart and considering how old the three of them are”.  
  
Xavier nodded “their my kids Salmarian and I feel like I hardly know them!”  
  
Tina said, “you probably don’t”.

Xavier sighed “yes I know, I feel we’ll end up having a great relationship eventually, but it’s getting to that stage that’s the painful part”.  
  
Tina patted Xavier’s hand “Xavier gives it time, gee we have all the time in the world! Time is something we all have in abundance!”  
  
”More than abundance many would say,” said Sal.

Magius said, “I envy you, Xanian; I never got around to having children of my own”.  
  
Tina said, “you may one day, hopefully, Sal and I will too one day”.

Magius looked at the couple and said: “I’m surprised you two haven’t already”.  
  
Sal said, “Tina and I only just found one another recently after almost a century apart believing each other to be dead, that is why we haven’t gotten around to having a sprog or two of our own yet”.  
  
” _Sprog_?” Magius asked.  
  
Salmarian laughed “gee, you’re so English! Sprog, it’s a slang term for children”.  
  
”Arh,” said Magius.

Salmarian said, “yes, no hopefully very soon we will fill that gap in our lives, two maybe three, can’t let OL Xavier beat us!”  
  
Tina nodded “Yes, we’re both still young enough”.  
  
Xavier said “I was lucky, you know how rare twins are? Especially Identical twins!”  
  
”Yep,” said Tina “say I’m going to go get some more coffee, anyone wants any?”  
  
She got one taker and took Sal’s cup as Xavier and Magius seemed quite happy with their tea and headed over towards where the coffee things were.

She spied Crysta coming back followed by Vorz and watched as she headed towards the ship, which was still parked out in the carpark disguised as a Motor Home.

Crysta walked out towards Tina’s ship when she heard a voice hail her she turned and saw a handsome young man walking towards her.

“Hello,” she said, trying to remember where she’d seen him before.

“Hi, Crysta isn’t it?” he asked.

“Uh yeah but you have me at a disadvantage, sir,” she said.

He said, “oh yeah I probably do, I’m Galen Kingsley, you were on my Uncles boat last night”.  
  
”Your Captain Kingsley’s son?” she asked.

“No, he’s my Uncle; I’m working with him during the summer before I go to college”.  
  
”Oh,” Crysta said, “I don’t think we were introduced, I’m Crystal Asturan”.  
  
He smiled “I still find it hard to believe that you’re not a mermaid”.  
  
Crystal chuckled “I’m not, I’m sorry”.  
  
He smiled back and said, “actually I’m kinda relieved that you’re not”.

“Are you now?” Crystal countered flirting a little.

“For if you were a Mermaid, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” he said, handing her a pink rose he’d been holding behind his back.

“Why thank you!” she said.

“It comes with a price,” he said, “I was wondering if I could steal a date with you?”  
  
Crysta chuckled and then asked, “are you asking me out?”  
  
”Yes,” he said, “I reckon you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve seen for a while”.  
  
Crystal enjoying the play said, “why thank you, kind sir”.  
  
Galen asked “so is that a yes?”  
  
”I’d be delighted!” Crysta said, figuring he was about her brother's ages or thereabouts.   
  
She could also tell that he was Dorenganza, the tell-tale signs were there, metallic streaked hair, slanted eyes and slightly pointed ears and the otherworldly aura most Dorenganza had.

“Oh thank you!” he said “how about tonight then, huh? I know this great place we could go”.  
  
”Here or Tanhu?” she asked.

“It’s here,” he said, “not much on Tanhu actually, not in the way of places to eat, it’s in one of the many coves that this island has”.  
  
”OK,” said Crysta.

“I’ll pick you up at seven, ok? From the Hotel, we’re going to need my boat to get there though”.  
  
”That’s fine; seven it is then,” Crysta said, “see you then”.  
  
”I look forward to it,” he said, he indicated Vorz “ err _nice_ dog”.  
  
Crysta laughed “he’s not a dog he’s a Vortasaur, he’s only a baby though”.  
  
Galen looked at him “if _that’s_ a **baby,** how **big** is he going to grow!”  
  
Crysta replied, “he’s half-grown already, his name is Vorz, and we kinda rescued him”.  
  
Galen said, “where did you find something like that?”  
  
”Outer space” Crysta replied, “their natural habitat is the Time Vortex, but I’ve managed to tame him”.  
  
Galen said “just as well” he then turned to her “see you at seven”.  
  
”Yes, see you,” Crysta said, as he waved at her and walked off.

 **C** rystal waited until he was gone and opened the Tardis door with her key, wondering what to wear that night and decided to recheck Tina’s wardrobe room, Tina had some great outfits in the ship’s wardrobe.

“Ok Vorz off you go,” Crysta said to the Vortasaur and laughed as he loped off to his den.

Crysta then checked the scan that Xavier had set up, saw that it was showing nothing new and started to walk towards the wardrobe room.

She was still getting over just how big inside Tina’s ship was, Tina had tried to explain it all to her, but most of it had gone over her head, Crysta still thought it was cool that Tina had such a wacky ship and that it could travel _anywhere_ in time and space.

Merlyn seemed to understand it more, but Rast seemed as confused as she was over it.   
  
Still, she did know it had some great stuff in it.   
  
Sometimes when there wasn’t anyone around Crysta felt a comforting presence in it, something other than the ship itself which Tina said was alive, Tina often said she could feel her father’s presence in it.   
  
Crysta was pretty sure that comforting presence they all felt was the ghost or something of Tina’s father. This benevolent ghost watched over them all.

She had never actually seen a ghost inside the ship, and she wasn’t sure if Tina had either, but, there was definitely something good and kind with them all in the ship watching over them all.

Crystal loved the rackety old ship with all its quirks.  
  
It’s numerous rooms, there were all sort of cool things in it, a vast swimming pool that was never cold, the big spa bath, the garden, the immense libraries, the gymnasium, the great kitchen, the clock room, the chair room, the butterfly room, the huge walk in aviary.  
  
Salmarian’s huge train set which he was continually adding to, Tina’s doll collection, Rastalin’s garage where he had an old VW he was working on, there was also an area where they had all their bikes, hovercraft, boat, and the twin's space planes as well, and Tina’s mini-sub.

Crysta felt that the ship was more of a home than the Xanadu was now, she had lived on space stations and starships for most of her life, so she was quite at home in them.

There was even a mini-movie theatre on Tina’s ship and a room full of movies and the like, there was the mirror room, all sorts of things and Crysta and her brothers were still learning their way around.

The rooms they commonly used were the closest to the console room, but, there were many more, Crysta was sure that even Tina didn’t fully know what was in her ship, seeing it had been her father’s before he had handed it over to her.

She still wasn’t sure where Vorz made his home all she knew was that it was somewhere on the ship and she only had to call him, and he would come to her.

She had been shown the engine room, when they had first come aboard it had been fantastic! And it seemed impossible, she wasn’t sure where it was though and knew that if she tried to find it, she’d get lost; all she knew was that there was always that comforting hum from deep within the ship even when it was idle.

Crysta closed her eyes and let herself listen to the comforting hum, she had gotten so used to it, she found it soothing, and knew that if the engines ever stopped she would know.

Tina had told them all they would all get attuned to the Tardis soon enough and that if anything ever went wrong, they would know it, they would also feel it.

 _It’s perfectly natural for that to happen_ she had told them, so don’t feel afraid when it did, _it is part of your heritage_ she had said.

Crysta still didn’t fully understand the implications of her mixed blood, but, she did know that she had what was technically a Star-Dragon power without actually been a Star-Dragon, which in itself was a little overwhelming.

“Crysta you in here?” came a voice, Tina’s she recognised.

“Yeah,” said Crysta coming back into the console room, Tina was standing in front of the console reading the results of the scan.

It was times like this that Crysta was reminded that fun-loving, happy go lucky Tina, was the pilot of this wacky craft, that she was of a race that was almost like Gods and that she, Crysta, also had that same alien blood running through her.

“I thought you were,” Tina said, “how’s Vorz?”  
  
”He’s ok, he’s in his den” she replied.  
  
Tina asked, “have you found out where that is yet?”  
  
”Nope,” Crysta asked.  
  
Tina said, “you could ask the ship you know, she probably knows”.  
  
Crysta said, “I know, but that kinda takes all the fun out of finding it, doesn’t it?”  
  
Tina said “true”.  
  
Crysta said,” uh I’ve been asked out on a date by one of the Oyster farmers that found us last night is that Ok?”  
  
Tina said, “Crys your 17 years old, you don’t have to ask us whether you can go on a date and I’m sure Xavier wouldn’t mind either, have a good time, we know you're sensible”.  
  
”Uh, can I borrow something from the ship’s wardrobe?” she asked.  
  
Tina laughed “Of course, this ship is your home to as well now, I’m sure you’ll find a spectacular outfit to wear.”  
  
”Thanks Tina,” she said.

“Not a problem,” Tina said, sounding slightly distracted as she pushed a couple of buttons on the console.

Clearly, something was bothering Tina, so Crysta decided to leave her alone and headed towards the wardrobe room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salmarian goes looking for information

#  Chapter Nine

**S** almarian had decided to wander around to see if he could find any information on Halau. At the same time, Xavier and Magius worked on a plan on how to get into the fortress.

Salmarian had found a tourist information centre and was looking through the flyers.

“May I help you?” the lady behind the counter asked him.

Salmarian looked at her and thickening up his English accent he asked: “I’m interested in the old fortress on Halau, I can’t seem to find any information on it here though”.  
  
She said, “you probably won’t, that’s been off-limits to tourists for quite a few years now, they say it’s unsafe, but there are plenty of other attractions around it if you’re interested.”  
  
”Unsafe, how?” he asked.

“That fortress is hundreds of years old now, it’s practically nothing but an old ruin now, however, if it’s old buildings you’re interested in there is the ancient ruins on Kaladaren, and the castle on Alaua, they’re both open to tourists, but Halau’s been closed for years, the only people who get to go out there now is scientists, restoration people and people like that”.  
  
Salmarian nodded “I see, do you think I could get out there?”  
  
She shrugged “if you know the right people, but why? It’s nothing but an old ruin now”.  
  
Salmarian replied, “let’s just say I have an interest in old buildings, and I really would like to see the fortress on Halau”.  
  
She said, “I really can’t help you, then, sir”.  
  
”Darn,” said Salmarian “restoration people. What do you mean by that?”  
  
She replied, “there’s a huge restoration project going on out there, I think their kind of hoping to be able to open it up again to the Tourists one day again, it’s gotten pretty hard hit by time”.  
  
”Oh,” said Salmarian.

She then said “however you can go to Halau, there’s a boat that goes out there every day like I said there are a lot of other things to see and do there, you get a lot of artists and scientists going out there and cavers as Halau has some spectacular sea caves.  
  
The Islands not off limits but there’s an eccentric, reclusive millionaire who lives out there on Halau, he owns half the island, including the ruined fortress, so we are restricted as to what you can see and do out there, he’s the one who's funding the restoration project on the fortress.”  
  
”I see,” said Salmarian “Know his name by any chance?”  
  
”Nope,” she said “he’s very reclusive, many say he’s a drug lord or on the run from the law or something, he doesn’t harm anyone, so we don’t ask questions like that. He employs some the native population as well.”  
  
Salmarian nodded, absorbing this “anything else you can tell me”.  
  
She nodded “ there’s a hospice out there as well, quite an exclusive one, he owns it as well, you sometimes get people going out there to convalesce or something, from some alien disease or something”.  
  
Salmarian nodded it made sense with what Magius had said, an eccentric, reclusive millionaire, who owned half the island, in other words, the perfect cover for building and storing alien technology and weapons, he was willing to bet that the ‘ _hospice_ ’ was simply a cover, yeah there probably was a hospice out there, but, its real purpose wasn’t just to help people get well.

“So you can go to the island as a tourist,” he asked.

“Yeah but like I said the fortress is off-limits, but it’s a great place for birds, sea life and that it’s a sanctuary, and it has some spectacular sea caves if your into that sort of thing, there’s a very nice hostel out on the island where you can stay as well, we have stringent rulings on where you can go on the island as some of its private property”.  
  
Salmarian nodded “I see”.

“So you into that sort of thing?” she asked.

Salmarian said, “my daughters an amateur naturalist, she’d probably like to see the animal sanctuary”.  
  
The lady said “ well why didn’t you _**say**_ so!” she came out from behind the counter and went through the flyers “ here you go, Halau, like I said there’s a boat that goes there twice a day, and here’s some information on the sea cave tours, and some information on the Hostel and the like”.  
  
”Shame the fortress is off-limits,” said Sal looking over the flyers “I like old buildings, thank you ever so much”.

“No problem,” she said, “so how long you intend to stay here in the Islands?”  
  
”Probably for quite some time,” said Sal, “with the war and all, we’ll probably find ourselves a house to rent and the like soon”.  
  
She nodded “lots of folks are saying that you’re not the first”.  
  
Salmarian said “it’s not very pleasant in England at the moment with the air raids and all, and my poor wife is really in need of some worry-free recuperation, she just had a nervous breakdown because of the problems in England at the moment, she’s never been strong, so staying here for a while will probably do her a world of good” _forgive me, Tina,_ he thought.

“You could try to send her to the hospice,” she said.

“No, she wouldn’t like that, she rather be with her family,” he said.

“Hmm,” she said, “anything else you require?”  
  
”Not at the moment thanks,” he said, “I think I’ll just look through the rest of these flyers, see what else is here to see and do”.

“So where you from?” she asked, “clearly England, but where?”  
  
”Kent, we’re from Kent” he replied, knowing full well that his accent was Kentish.

“OH,” she said, “never been to England, you know”.  
  
”You don’t really want to go at the moment,” he said, “not with the air raids and that, the islands are much nicer”.  
  
”I heard about that,” she said, “there’s a book here that’s a guide to the islands if you’re interested”.  
  
Salmarian looked at it and asked “how much?” she told him, and he paid for it, he also bought some touristy stuff and then said, “thank you, you have been accommodating Pamela”.  
  
”That’s alright,” she said, “I hope your wife gets better soon”.  
  
”She will, I think after a few months here she’ll be as right as rain,” he said, leaving the tourist information centre.

**O** nce outside he went and sat down in a nearby park, put on his reading glasses and started to read the stuff he had gotten in typical Time Lord fashion (meaning very fast) it was times like this he was glad that he wasn’t human and that he was alien, he absorbed all that he read and stored it away for future reference.

“ _Hmm_ ,” he said to himself “that sounds about right, an eccentric millionaire who owns half the island and is reclusive, Magius I think we’re found your mastermind”.  
  
He got up a few minutes later putting the stuff in the pockets of his coat like all Timelords his coat pockets were bigger than they should be and pulled out his tracker to check the time distortions, finding that they were unchanged he put it away again and decided to go get a drink and maybe pick up a few more scraps of information, his years spent as a courier had made him very good at gathering information.

He wandered down to the Boulevard which was an area full of shops, places to eat and the like, very touristy as it had been meant to be, and probably a right place to pick up gossip and information.

It was a bustle of activity been the season, buskers plied their trade, there were open-air market shops and an outdoor bar, there were tourists everywhere, taking photos, talking, buying stuff, the usual stuff tourists did

Sal decided he blended right in with his tropical print shirt, faded jeans and long leather jacket and his foldable Panama hat, he had a redheads complexion, been fair-skinned with freckles, thus prone to sunburn, his physiology allowed him to heal quickly, but it didn’t stop him from getting sunburnt in the first place!

He dropped some coins into a busker’s guitar case as he walked by whistling a tune and sauntering along with his hands in his pockets and walked towards the bar.

He came up to the bar and thickening up his English accent again he ordered “could I have a Cascade please?” acting the English tourist, he didn’t quite have Xavier’s or Magius flair for being the English gentleman, but, he did reasonably well as himself anyway.

“Unusual for a Pommy to like Aussie beer,” said the bartender who had an Australian accent.

Sal chuckled and replied, “my wife’s an Australian, so I developed a taste for Australian beer after been married to her”.

“Arh,” he said, handing him a bottle and a glass.

“So who’s winning in the cricket?’ Salmarian asked.  
  
” _ **We**_ are, of course!” he replied.  
  
”Thought as much,” Sal said, “one day we’ll get our own back again”.  
  
”Yeah right,” he said, “so what brings you to the Muir Islands?”  
  
” Forced Vacation mainly” he replied, “thinking about buying here though and settling, I’ve grown to like the place”.

“Arh yes the famous Muir Island magic,” said the bartender.

Salmarian chuckled “yes, there is that, know where I can get some land?”  
  
”There’s land all over the entire islands, this is probably one of the best to do so though, only place that you probably couldn’t get land is Halau, half that islands owned by this eccentric millionaire or so they say, whom noone ever sees, so most of its private property and well it is only a small island” he replied refilling Salmarian’s glass.

“ _Hmm_ , but the other islands?” he asked.

“Not a problem, although Kaladaren has some rulings you can’t build near the ancient ruins there, although only a few people live there, they say it’s haunted, and the government has some type of base on it”.  
  
”I see,” said Sal “and the rest?”  
  
”Tanhu’s pretty good, lots of land there, mainly Oyster Farmers and fisherfolk and natives though live there, but you can definitely get property out there, Oahu of course, and there are plenty of other islands,”  
  
Sal nodded “and here?”  
  
”Plenty of houses, not quite so much land anymore but plenty of homes, although you can get land here though if you’re willing to travel a bit”.  
  
”Thanks,” he said.

The bartender indicated Sal’s half-empty glass “for a Pom you certainly know how to put away the beer”.

Sal looked at his glass; it was his third and shrugged “Aussie wife”.  
  
”Taught you how to drink beer, huh?” he asked.

“Amongst other things” he replied.

“Want me to refill that for you?” he asked.

“Yes I would,” said Sal handing the glass over which the bartender refilled “so heard any good rumours lately?”  
  
”Depends on what you mean by good” the bartender replied.

“Oh, anything unusual or interesting”.

“What are you a secret agent or something?”

“Oh no, I’m an engineer and an information trader, run my own courier transport business”.  
  
”Arh,” he said.

“Unfortunately due to the war I’m kind of grounded at the moment” Sal continued.

“Aren’t we _all_ mate?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Sal “that we are”.  
  
”This war’s terrible for business I’m finding, not so many tourists this year, people are afraid to travel because of the raids”.  
  
Sal nodded “yes I can see that” he thoughtfully took a sip of his drink knowing he could drink the beer like water and not be affected by it.

Rast had figured out how he could get drunk, but, Sal also knew that with a thought he could easily flush the alcohol out of his system in a blink of an eye in a way it almost didn’t seem worth it, getting drunk in the first place.

The bartender continued so Sal just let him talk, “this is the peak season, there are usually more people around, the wars been bad for tourism full stop, people are afraid to travel because of the raids and the fact that sometimes the Scorps attack civilian ships. I keep hearing stories that in some areas the Scorps are enslaving the populace, along with those interplanar demons, whole villages have fallen prey to the slavers”.  
  
” _Interplanar demons_?” Sal asked, curious.

“Yeah, the Booms-Booms as their commonly known, they have some long-complicated name, but everyone calls them the Boom-Booms, they say their allied themselves with the Scorps, and the T’ron and Gods know what else! Rumour has it that the CAW kicked the one race off the planet that could help us”.  
  
”The Xanaduens, I heard that,” said Sal “why was that?”  
  
”Well rumour has it that they claimed that the Xanaduens were too much trouble to have around during an invasion, because well you know their reputation, but, we have quite a few Xanaduens living here in the island. They're never caused any trouble, not much anyway, one of my barmaids is a Xanaduen, the customers love her “.

“Their proper name is _Dorenganza_ ,” said Salmarian “but yeah they are known better as the Xanaduens”.  
  
”That’s what she said,” he said “truth is from what Liana’s told me more Dorenganza are living here than we realise. Been shapeshifters they blend in so easily that noone can tell the difference, especially seeing they mainly look like members of the human race or Elder Races, the customers love Liana. She’s a damn good worker and entertainer, she can sing and dance, and she’s a damn good listener, I liked her that much I made her my assistant manager! I don’t know what the problem that CAW is having with members of her race”.  
  
”I think the problem is that they haven’t bothered to get to know them,” said Salmarian, “yes Xanaduens do have a wacky sense of fun and like having a good time, but, I know a few and underneath their happy go lucky exterior there is so much more to them than meets the eye. There are layers to them that are hidden outwardly, they make great friends, they’ll stick up for anyone they consider a friend and they’ll do anything to help them, there is an undeniable streak of goodness in their characters. I _like_ Xanaduens, make a friend out of one of them. You’ll have a friend for life, they’ll stick by you through thick and thin, and they’ll remain with you through good and bad, they’ll follow you to hell and back and even give their own life for you if it came to that. I have a friend who married one, and from what I can gather, she gave her life for him and their three children, Dorenganza are a many-layered race who have so much to offer yet noone will believe it of them.”  
  
”I’ll believe that,” he said, “ the time's Liana’s stuck by me certainly gives credence to what you say, apart from my Missus she’s probably my best friend”.  
  
”I think Earth needs the Dorenganza I only wish The Alliance would realise that,” Sal said.

The bartender nodded and refilled Sal’s glass again “yes we do”.  
  
Sal continued “so tell me more about these ‘ _boom-booms’_?”  
  
”I don’t know a helluva lot about them, only what I’ve heard, I think their some kind of interplanar demon, who can get inside a person’s mind and kill them, and they often enslave whomever they come across. Apparently, the Adept Knights know a fair bit about them and are it seems the only ones who can resist their mind control. Spoke to a Knight once and he told me about them, he didn’t go into a lot of detail though, but from what I can glean, their dangerous, highly intelligent, deadly and totally evil”.

“The Adept Knights,” said Sal thoughtfully “isn’t there a temple or something on this island?”  
  
”Yeah, not that far away actually, you can see it from here if you know where to look,” he said, “ I could show it to you, often get the Knights and that around here, they often act as security, people tend to behave themselves more when one or two of them Knights are around”.  
  
”I know a couple of Knights actually, my friend's twin sons”.  
  
”Dorenganza Knights?” he asked, “isn’t that kind of rare amongst their kind?”  
  
”Apparently,” said Sal.

“ _Hmm_ ,” he said “interesting”.  
  
”Yes,” said Sal.

“Like another refill for that,” he asked.

“Yes,” said Sal “I would actually.”

“You can sure hold your beer mate,” he said, “I’ve had customers down on their backs after several of these; you don’t even seem the slightest bit affected”.  
  
Sal shrugged “guess I’m just good at holding my beer”.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Group Confers

**I** t was a little later, (about a dozen beers later actually) when Sal decided he had gotten all the information he could from the chatty bartender (whose name had been Matthew) he paid for his beer and added a generous tip for all the information and a promise that he’d definitely come back.

Sal defused the effects of the alcohol and started to walk towards the Jedaini Academy hoping to find Rastalin and Merlyn who’d left early that morning to go look up information on Dark Knights, realising it was quite a walk Salmarian hired a pushbike.

He rode along the road admiring the scenery, Muir Island was definitely beautiful. Even in 2947, it was still pretty much unspoilt. Not a lot of people lived here, the meteors that had hit the Earth some centuries ago had killed millions and the years of plague and that, that had followed that event had also taken its toll, the world had been changed forever, even it’s very face had been altered. 

Earth had long since recovered, but the population of Earth was still considerably less than it had been.

“So the _Boom-Booms_ have gotten involved,” Salmarian said to himself as he rode along absorbing this information, he didn’t know a lot about them only what he had read, but the very thought that they had also gotten involved meant that this war was going to get a _whole_ lot worse.

He decided to ask the twins what they knew of the Boom-Booms, hopefully, more than he did, he didn’t think they had anything to do with the current situation here in the islands but if they had gotten involved in the war that meant Earth was in grave danger.

He was so involved in his thoughts he almost didn’t see the small hired air car that was coming the other way and almost ran him down had not the driver of the vehicle had seen him and slammed on the brakes.

Sal reacted and went off the road and ended up in a ditch, relatively unharmed.

“Gee Sal, you Ok?” Merlyn asked as he helped Sal to his feet.

“You Ok Prof?” Rastalin asked, getting out of the car.

Sal said, “I’m fine, my fault I didn’t see you until it was too late”.  
  
Rastalin asked “what are you doing out here?” as Merlyn used his healing powers to heal Sal’s scratches.

“Lucky the safety fence caught you,” Merlyn said as the Jedaini academy was on a hill and they were on a mountainous road.

“Yeah lucky,” Sal said looking over the edge at the steep drop into the ocean below, he probably would have survived it, but not without injury or in a worst-case scenario without triggering off a regeneration, and quite frankly Sal wasn’t ready to go through **_that_ **again, not for a while at least, the _last_ time had been bad enough.

“What were you doing all the way out here anyway?” Rastalin asked.

“Trying to find you actually or at least get to the academy” he replied.

“Oh, why?” Rastalin asked as Merlyn put the pushbike into the car.

“I got some information your Order might be able to help me with”, he said.

“About Basilisk?” Rastalin asked.

“Erm not quite but something else that according to my source your Order know all about”.  
  
”OH,” said Merlyn “what we do know of Basilisk however might be useful”.  
  
”You found out something about him?” Sal asked, “I think he’s the eccentric millionaire that owns half of Halau”.  
  
”He’s also a Dark Lord,” said Rastalin as he got back in the car.

“A Dark Adept?” he asked.

Yep” said Merlyn.

“Are the two of you even capable of taking down a Dark Adept?” Sal asked.

“Technically, yes,” said Rastalin.

“But you're both so young and inexperienced,” said Salmarian.

“We’ll ask Casamir for some advice,” said Rastalin starting up the aircar.

The Island still had roads for things like pushbikes and the like, but inside the tarmac were guides of some sort for stuff like aircars and hovercrafts, which kept you straight, skimmers could be used off-road and that as well, but most people preferred to keep to the roads.

“Oh,” said Salmarian.

Rastalin started driving down the hill, keeping straight using the guides to do so, avoiding the rocks.

Salmarian said, “ I don’t like it, boys, you haven’t come across a Dark Adept yet nor fought one, let Magius take care of Basilisk, you two don’t have the experience”.  
  
Merlyn said “we have to, look he’s of the same order we are only fully on the Dark side” he shrugged “it happens sometimes, some people drift a little too far and get stuck or choose too, and we’re probably the only two who could take him on out of us all”.  
  
I still don’t like it,” he said, “ Crysta and I have fought monsters together for years, but even I try to keep her out of danger when I think she doesn’t have the experience to do something”.  
  
Rastalin said, “Sal we mightn’t have the experience, but we do have the knowhow, we’ll take care of Basilisk”.  
  
”Well take care, and I insist you wear that armour Casamir gave you both” as Casamir had given both of them a suit of force active armour, It was light and flexible, and Casamir had said that they would probably need it one day.

“We intend to,” said Merlyn “that armours made for Knights of the Path”.  
  
”Ok,” he said.

Rastalin asked, “so what’s your information then?”  
  
Salmarian paused than said, “what do you two know of the Boom-Booms?”  
  
The silence that fell across the car gave Salmarian his answer, they clearly knew about them.

“Where you hear that?” Rastalin asked.

“From someone who I was talking to” he replied.

“I didn’t sense any of them,” Merlyn said quietly “did you, Rast?”  
  
”Nope,” said Rastalin.

“I don’t think this has anything to do with Basilisk,” said Salmarian, “I just want to know what you know about them”.  
  
Rastalin said “ the Boom-Booms are interplanar demons, I can’t remember they're proper name, but _Boom-Boom_ is their commonly called name, they got that because whenever one of them attacks, you can tell by the _BOOM-BOOM_ noise they make when they attack or even when one of them is in the area. They are one of the most feared planar creatures apart from the T’ron, they get into your head and take you over, it’s part of their abilities, and they can also kill you through your subconscious. Their highly intelligent and totally evil”.  
  
”So you do know something about them,” Sal asked.

“It is one of the things the Order makes sure we know about, the Jedaini are the only people who are immune to their mind control, and trouble is the Boom-Booms know that we are, and they hate us for it, they can’t get into our minds, no matter how hard they try,” Rastalin said.

Salmarian nodded “I see, do you think a **_Time Lord_ **could?”  
  
Rastalin shrugged “I can’t answer that, we’re never actually come across one, but yeah I think you probably could”.  
  
Salmarian nodded “ _Hmm_ , that’s a thought, maybe we could seeing we are different, not native to this universe”.  
  
”Are you saying that Basilisk has some Boom-Booms under his control, you know he could you know because like us he’d be immune to their mind control?” Merlyn asked, “although I didn’t sense any”.  
  
”So you can sense Boom-Booms?” Sal asked.  
  
”It’s one of our defences” Rastalin replied “like I said they can’t get into our minds, we’re immune to their effects, which is why they fear us so much because they can’t enslave us, one of the advantages in our favour because of that we can sense when Boom-Booms are around even if noone else can. They could be miles off, and we would know they were coming”.  
  
”Handy that,” said Salmarian.  
  
”Basilisk has no Boom-Booms we would know otherwise if he did,” Merlyn said.

Sal said, “like I said this is nothing to do with Basilisk, but my source says that the Boom-Booms have allied themselves with both the Scorps and the T’ron”.  
  
”They have?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Yes,” he said.

“That is not good,” Merlyn said.  
  


“So do you think Time Lords could resist the Boom-Booms?” Sal asked.

“Possibly your brains are different, and you aren’t native to this universe,” Merlyn said, “so yeah you probably could”.

“What’s this ‘ _ **you**_ ’?” Sal asked, “you three are as much Time Lord as me, Tina and Xavier and Magius”.

“OH yeah,” said Merlyn as they pulled up in front of their Hotel.

Rastalin said, “see you inside I’ll just park the car”.  
  
”How long have you got it?” Merlyn asked.

“For a week” he replied, “I’ll return the pushbike as well”.  
  
”Ok,” said Sal “sees you when you get back” he got out of the car.   
  
He and Merlyn went inside to find Tina, Xavier, Magius and Crysta in their favourite corner of the public lounge.

“Where you **_been_**?” Tina asked Sal as she caught sight of his dishevelled appearance.

“Took a little tumble off the road” he replied, “it’s ok, I’m fine just a bit bruised”.  
  
”Your nose is ** _also_** sunburnt,” Tina said with a giggle.

“It is?” he asked “figures!” he sighed “I clearly have a redheads complexion then! Arh well, more freckles!”

Tina said, “I **_like_** your freckles!”  
  
Sal grinned and sat down next to Tina and said “thanks”.

“Find out any Goss?” Tina asked him.

“Enough” he replied.

Magius asked “what did you find?” he, as usual, looked immaculate, in his suit and ties with a red carnation in his lapel every inch the John Foxx of the movies.

Xavier, as usual, was wearing a velvet smoking jacket, frilled collar shirt, and dark trousers, they hadn’t yet decided whether he did that because he was a Time Lord or whether he simply dressed like that because he lived on Icotorus and that was the standard dress code on Icotorus perhaps it was a bit of both.

It was a stark contrast to Tina’s frilled skirt, and batik singlet top and Sal’s tropical print shirt faded jeans and a leather jacket.

“Your quarry is a Dark Adept,” said Merlyn “a Dark Knight, he also owns half the Island of Halau, and everyone thinks he’s an eccentric millionaire”.  
  
Magius nodded “we knew that already but not about the Dark Adept bit, no wonder poor Tianna can’t rescue herself”.

“Do you think it’s him that’s doing that to her?” Tina asked.

“Tianna, as I said, is a Super, but she’s not that strong a one, compared to some of her peers she’s pretty ordinary actually, her powers are pretty mild actually, like me it gives her a slight edge but not an extraordinary one, I think she thinks I’m a low key Super as well”.  
  
”Does anyone at Intelligence know you’re an alien?” Sal asked.

“Noone, I think they all think I’m a low key Super much like Tianna is.”

“Oh,” said Sal.

“Intelligence tries to keep low key, which is probably why we don’t have that many Supers in it, and no Adepts, some of us are Mages, Elder Races, or Nightfolk but that’s about it, I’m probably the only alien in it”.  
  
”Is Tianna a 00 as well?” Rastalin asked.

“Not yet ” he replied, “which is why I want to rescue Tianna, I owe it to her and to Withers”.  
  
”Tianna’s alive,” said Merlyn “but she seems unable to rescue herself, which is probably Basilisk’s doing, you’re going to need us to take him down”.  
  
He looked at Merlyn “I don’t really like the idea of putting your kids at risk”.  
  
”We’re not kids!,” said Rastalin “ we’re fully fledged Jedaini!, this is our place in the universe, yes we’re young and probably lacking somewhat in experience but how are we going to get that experience if you don’t let us help _hmm_?”  
  
”He has a point,” said Tina “believe me the twins aren’t quite as inexperienced as they seem”.

Magius said, “very well then let’s see what we can come up with then as a plan”.

Merlyn suddenly noticed Crysta had vanished and asked: “where’s Crysta then?”  
  
Tina chuckled and replied, “Crysta has a date tonight so’s she’s probably gone to get ready for it”.  
  
”Crysta has a date?” Rastalin asked, “with _whom_?”  
  
”One of the fishermen that rescued you the other night” Tina replied, “she said his name was Galen”.  
  
”Captain Kingsley nephew” Merlyn remembered, “she’ll be fine, he’s about our age, seemed a nice guy actually”.

“I wish she _**told** _us!” Rastalin complained.

“Rast she’s our sister! If Crysta wants to go on a date who are we to stop her?” Merlyn said, “she’ll be fine”.

Xavier said, “I sure wish she told me!”  
  
Tina said, “she told me, I thought that was enough”.  
  
Xavier sighed “I still wish she _ **told**_ me”.  
  
Tina said, “Xavier If you think a **_teenage girl_** is going to tell her father every time she gets asked out on a date, you have got a lot to learn about teenage girls!”  
  


Xavier said, “I _am_ her father”.  
  
Salmarian said, “and she’s my companion, I know Crysta probably better than you do Xavier, she’s sensible I trust Crysta’s judgement”.  
  
”Xavier, she’s **17 years old**!” said Tina “trust her judgement”.  
  
Xavier said, “I just don’t want anything to happen to my kids again that’s all”.  
  
Tina said, “Crysta is 17 years old, and the boys are fully fledged knights, your children aren’t **Children** anymore!”

Xavier said, “I know”.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crysta's date :)

**M** eanwhile, Crysta dressed in one of Tina’s dresses waited impatiently at the wharf that Galen had told her to, worrying that maybe she wouldn’t be a suitable date.

Travelling around with Salmarian hadn’t given her much chance to actually date, dating was something of a mystery to her, she’d been too young back on Crasolia.   
  
Then there were all those years spent in a concentration camp and then aboard EITS[1] just trying to survive and not be sold into slavery or prostitution.

Salmarian had saved her from that, but it still didn’t give her many experiences with dating.

Crysta knew Galen was running a few minutes late by now, marvelling at her ability to be able to feel time passing, it was still a little scary as well, this heightened ability she had to Time, and she’d always had it but had never really **noticed** it before.

Was this what been a Star-Dragon felt like? She could feel time passing, she could feel the Earth turning, and if she lost time, she knew It would make her feel well odd. Anomalies in Time she knew could make her feel nauseous, was it how a Star-Dragon felt or was it unique to a Time Lord?

 **Argh**! She thought this is so weird! She checked her watch where _was_ Galen?

She frowned slightly and looked up as she felt something pass over her, something to do with Time, but, she couldn’t lay a finger on it, she wished she knew more about the powers she had as a Gallifreyan even a Half Breed one like she was!

**S** he then heard the sound of a motorboat approaching and sensed Galen’s presence, both her hearts jumped in anticipation as she worried that he wouldn’t like her, find her too weird, what if she had one of her weird sensitive to time thingy’s while they were out on their date, how could she explain **_that_** to him?

Galen smiled and waved as he pulled his boat into the dock and said: “sorry I’m late Crysta, but Uncle Brian needed some help with some racks that had come loose”.  
  
”That’s Ok,” Crysta said calming down, sensing the truth in his words knowing that wasn’t a Time Lord thing that was her sensitivity to the Way working there.

She didn’t quite have the skill or the training Rast and Merlyn did, but her own skills with the Way were quite decent she was more Force Adept than Jedai really and probably always would be.

“You ready?” he asked.

“As I will ever be,” she said.  
  
”I’ve booked us in, but it’ll take us about 15 minutes to get there,” he said.

“That’s Ok,” she said, she didn’t mind that at all, it gave her 15 minutes to conserve herself.

Galen said, “a lot of my friends still think you’re a mermaid”.  
  
Crysta chuckled “guess I did a pretty good imitation of one, huh?”  
  
Galen said, “you had me convinced”.  
  
Crysta said “sorry I’m not”.  
  
”Don’t be?” he said.  
  
**T** hey rode along in his boat for a few more minutes in silence; it was a small motorised fishing boat, nothing fancy, but she also noticed it also had a small sail on it as well, which was furled and a little cabin which was where she was sitting in at the moment.

“Is this your boat?”  
  
”Yep,” he said “like her? I know it’s nothing much, but she’s mine, one of the reasons why I’ve spent all summer working for my Uncle to pay for her”.  
  
Crysta said, “I reckon it’s perfectly, marvellous!”  
  
Galen said, “Her name is Delilah, named after my Grandmother, I loved my Grandmother”.  
  
”What happened to her?” Crysta asked.  
  
”She died two years ago,” he shrugged “she lived a good long life she was 120 when she died”.  
  
”But?”

He held up a hand “I’m not fully Dorenganza, you know”.  
  
Crysta said “Oh? How old are you then?”  
  
”Do you really want to know?”  
  
”Uhhuh”.  
  
”20” he replied, “my other half is human, well actually it’s probably more a quarter, seeing my Grandmother was human”.  
  
”You’re only slightly older than my brothers then, their 18 almost 19” she replied.

“And you?”  
  
”17” she replied “almost 18”.  
  
”Oh,” he said, “thought you were about that age”.  
  
Crysta said, “did you?”  
  
”Yeah,” he said.  
  
Crysta said “you look full Dorenganza”.  
  
”Like I said it’s only about a quarter in me, my human blood that is, you don’t mind do you?”  
  
Crysta said “no, I don’t” how could she? She was a half-breed herself!

“Good,” he said, “some of the girls on Tanhu don’t want anything to do with me because I’ve got Elder race blood”.

  
Crysta said, “that’s wrong, uh I’m a half-breed as well,”.  
  
”You are?” he asked, looking at her “human?”  
  
”Uh no,” she said.

“Elder race?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said “Elder Race definitely” that was the best way to describe her Time-Lord side.

“Half Elf I bet,” he said.

“Something like that,” she said.

“Thought as much,” he said, “you’re too beautiful to just be human”.  
  
Crysta said, “I never knew my mum, though; she died when I was a baby”.  
  
”I’m sorry”.  
  
”It’s Ok, Daddy says she was beautiful and that her name was Aeryn” she replied.  
  
”So let me Guess your dads the Elder race?” he asked he said picturing a fair-headed man.

“Uh yeah,” said Crysta with an inner giggle as she got his image, was he ever wrong!   
  
She pictured her dark haired, handsome dad, she didn’t know her father as well as she wanted to yet, but, she had a feeling that given time, she and he would have a great relationship, not the same as she had with Sal but great, nevertheless.

She wondered what Galen would feel if he knew that he father was a 700 odd-year-old Time-Lord from Gallifrey!, according to her dad he hadn’t even **_looked_** the same as he did now when she had been born!

“Yeah, he is,” she said.

Galen nodded and guided the boat past a cove and said: “not much longer now Crysta”.  
  
Crysta looked out the windows, The Muir Islands were beautiful!   
  
She had overheard Salmarian saying to Tina that morning that maybe they should look into buying some land here, to kind of have a ‘ _home away from home’_ to go to for a holiday or something.

She hoped that they would go ahead with it, it would be kind of nice to have a house where they could come to when they needed to get away from it all.

“Galen how long have you lived here in the Islands?” she asked.

“Most of my life,” he said, “I was fairly little when my mother and father bought me here to live and join Dad’s brother in the Oyster Farming business, we used to live in the Florida Keys.”

“Your accent isn’t American,” she remarked, “it’s Australian”.

“Like I said I was pretty young when we came here, about 8 or so”.  
  
”Oh,” she said.  
  
”You should see our hovercraft,” he said.

“Are they the ones with the big fans on the back?”  
  
”Uh huh,” he said, “really good for knocking around in the mangroves with”.  
  
Crysta smiled as she looked at him and said “thanks for asking me out Galen.”  
  
Galen said, “Hey, it’s not every day we find a pretty girl in our nets!”  
  
Crysta chuckled “am I ever going to live that down?”  
  
”Probably not” he replied.

Crysta said, “thought not”.

They went along Crysta watched the Island go by with all its little coves and inlets and bays until Galen indicated a pier and said “we’re here! Your gonna love this place! Native Cuisine and music, I love this place, it has great seafood as well, my Uncle sells his oysters to here”.

He helped Crysta out of the boat and led her to a charming restaurant built-in native style, it had a great atmosphere, but, Crysta noticed it didn’t seem to have too many tourists at it.  
  
Galen obviously noticed this and said, “it’s not that well known to the tourists which is one of the reasons why I like it here, it’s nice and quiet, and the proprietor is a friend of my Uncles”.  
  
”It’s gorgeous!” said Crysta as a native lady in native costume put a wreath of flowers around her neck and around Galen’s.  
  
” ** _Aloha_**!” she said.

Crysta knew that was a traditional greeting in The Muir Islands answered back “ _Aloha_!”  
  
”Booking for two under Kingsley,” Galen said.

“Right this way Master Kingsley,” said a native man “I put you on a table on the balcony”  
.  
He led them to a table on the huge balcony down the side, which had a bunch of native flowers in a vase on it and two taper candles burning.

The man pulled Crysta’s chair out for her and said: “here you go miss”.

“Thank you,” she said.

She sat down feeling glad that she had managed to get to this stage of her date without any weird Time Lordly things happening, but, she could feel _both_ her hearts thumping in nervousness, she had long ago gotten used to that double heartbeat, but surely Galen must hear it!

Galan came over with two non-alcoholic cocktails served in half a pineapple, “it’s a Pina Colada, the non-alcoholic type” he explained.

“Thanks,” Crysta said.  
  
Galen said, “they have a special non-alcoholic selection of cocktails for people technically not old enough to drink, which is great, I’m old enough, but I’m driving, and yes they do, do breath tests on you in a boat here in the Islands seeing in many ways boats are usually the only means of transport between the Islands, people use boats here as much as cars.”

Crysta said, “I’m sorry I’m **_underage_ d**!”  
  
Galen chuckled “so was I not so long ago, besides, you don’t have to drink to have a good time anyway, that’s my theory”.  
  
Crysta said “yeah”.  
  
She took a sip of her cocktail; it was delicious! A genuine Pina Colada!

Galen said “good, isn’t it?”  
  
She nodded “yeah”.

Galen said, “so tell me, Crysta, what you do normally when you’re not on vacation or pretending to be a mermaid?”  
  
Crysta thought about it, she couldn’t tell him that she was an apprentice Time Lord!  
  
So, she thought about it and then said, “I’m a Senior Jedaini Apprentice” that was technically true, she just didn’t have a Master, well not officially, Sal had provided most of her training.

“You’re a Jedaini Apprentice?” he asked.  
  
”Uh, huh” she replied.

“Cool!” he said, “say are Jedaini **_allowed_** to date?”  
  
Crysta chuckled “Jedaini are allowed to do whatever they _want_! Providing it doesn’t go against the rules and morals of been an Adept! And even that’s allowed under special circumstances! We’re not priests or nuns you know we are allowed to date and get married and have kids and that! We aren’t expected to remain celibate! It’s just that we usually tend to marry other Adepts! Mainly due to the company we keep”.  
  
”Oh,” he said.

“Besides I’m only an Apprentice I haven’t taken my final tests and trials yet”.  
  
”Oh,” he said.  
  
”Quiv and Tilan are full Jedaini though,” she said, “they're only recently completed their final tests and trials”.  
  
”Isn’t that kind of unusual for all three children to have the gift and the discipline?”  
  
Crysta said “yeah but our mother, Aeryn was apparently one of the greatest of the order”.  
  
”And you’re Dad? I _bet_ he’s Magi or something”.  
  
”Oh yeah he’s a Technomage, although they prefer the term Artificers, he’s also really good with quantum physics,” Crysta said, that much she could tell him, Xavier was a Technomage!

“Thought so,” he said.

Crysta said, “it’s probably where Quinawah inherited his gift with machines; he’s a Techno-path and an Interfacer, he seems to have this weird connection to computers and machines”.

“A Techno-path, huh? You know that’s classed as a ‘ _Super_ ’ power” said Galen.

Crysta nodded “I know, but Merlyn doesn’t class himself as a ‘ _Super_ ”.

“Merlyn?” he said.

Crysta giggled “it’s his nickname, his real name is Quinawah, but he prefers Merlyn, he says he got it because he was good at ‘ _fixing things_ ’ so his friends nicknamed him Merlyn, he tends to use ‘ _Merlyn_ ’ more than his real name.”  
  
”And Rastalin?”  
  
”Rastalin just liked the character Raistlin Majere in Dragonlance, so he started to call himself Rastalin, the name stuck, and everyone calls him Rastalin now” she replied.  
  
”And you?”

“Crysta, my real name is Crystal, but I prefer Crysta” she replied.

“Arh,” he said, “Galen’s the shortened version of my proper name”.

“So, what is your real name?”  
  
Galenarentio” he replied, “thus Galen”.  
  
”Dad’s real name is Xaniantherathan,” she said, “I think our _mother_ named us”.  
”Typical!” he chuckled.

“He chose to change it to Xavier” she replied.

“I don’t blame him,” he said.

Crysta said, “nor do I, we’re lucky we didn’t get saddled with a long name like that”.  
  
Galen said, “I have to get around to meeting your dad though, especially seeing I like you and would like to continue dating you”.

Crysta said, “you hardly _know_ me, Galen!”  
  
Galen took her hand and said, “I know you enough; you’re a great person Crysta Asturen”.  
  
Crysta said “really?”  
  
”Yeah,” he said.

“I like you too,” she said.

“So how long you plan to stay in the Islands?”  
  
Crysta said “who knows? With an intergalactic war raging in the universe we’re probably going to be here for a while”.  
  
”Good,” he said, “maybe you’ll stay here long enough to go to school here, Muir Island High is great!”

“I thought you were in college,” she said.

“I’ll be a freshman this year I took a Gap year,” he said, “you’d probably be a senior at school if you stay here long enough, or an intermediary”.  
  
”What?”  
  
”Intermediary, most of the schools here have an intermediate year between high school and college, it’s for kids who didn’t quite get the right marks to get into the college they wanted or feel they could have done better, or for some reason couldn’t get into college. Gives them a year to improve their marks and reapply, I did it last year. Basically, you split your time between intermediate, senior classes at school, concentrating on your weak points and a couple of days at college. Your still classed as a senior in High School, they call it year 13, or Intermediate Seniors, or Upper Sixth, there’s no shame in been an Intermediary, it’s accepted, and many parents take that option for their kids to do an intermediate, senior year.”  
  
”Oh,” she said.

“My problem was because due to my Grandmother been so sick I had to look after her and thus missed some school in my senior year at High school and as a result couldn’t get the results I needed to get into the courses I wanted, so I took the Intermediate year option and concentrated on the classes I needed and reapplied and got in” he replied.  
  
”I see,” she said.  
  
”There is no shame in it at all,” he said, “some kids do that extra year because they were sick or something and missed too much school”.  
  
Crysta nodded “ah”.  
  
”If you’re here long enough they’ll probably put you into the senior year,” he said, “and your brothers probably into Intermediate”.  
  
Crysta nodded and wondered if that would happen, it didn’t sound so bad, she’d never actually been to school, it might be fun just to be a schoolgirl, hang out with her friends, go to the mall, watch guys that sort of thing, she’d never actually only been a schoolgirl, her education was actually somewhat haphazard at least her brothers had, had Casamir and probably had gone to school.

“ **T** rust Crysta to get a date!” Rastalin complained to his twin later that night after they had all left the dining room.

The twins were sitting on the roof of the hotel as it had a rooftop garden, long after their elders had retired to the bar, the boys had gotten themselves some drinks and headed to the roof, there was a spa up there which currently had several people in it, the main pool was downstairs.

The rooftop garden was beautiful, it had tropical plants that thrived in Muir Islands tropical climate a small fountain and seats and alcoves all over it and a small bar.

Up here they could see some distance out to sea, a full moon hung in the sky and it was a beautiful night.

“She’ll be fine,” said Merlyn who was looking through his telescope adjusting it for ambient light and the like; he had it aimed at Saturn which he reckoned looked quite cute through a telescope[2] Merlyn had always been an enthusiastic amateur astronomer. A hobby his brother found slightly odd, seeing they lived in outer space.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure,” said Merlyn “stop worrying, will ya!”  
  
Rastalin sighed “I hope so”.  
  
Merlyn frowned and said, “We should go to Halau and look around a bit and see what we can find about Basilisk”.  
  
”Most of its off bounds,” said Rastalin.

“I want to look at the fort there”.  
  
Rastalin said, “you do?”  
  
”Yeah,” he said, “Call it a hunch ok”.  
  
Rastalin looked at his twin; he knew his twins ‘ _hunches_ ’ usually meant something was up.

Rastalin said, “if you call it a hunch we should check it out then”.  
  
Merlyn said, “Rast I can’t help the way I am”.  
  
Rast said, “it’s just that usually when you get a ‘ _hunch_ ’ it means something is up”.  
  
Merlyn said, “I think that’s the Time Lord[3] in me.”

“In us both,” said Rast “do you think we’ll ever end up as _bad_ as the Doctor?”

Merlyn grinned “hopefully no, one of HIM is quite enough for both our universes I think, Xavier, Tina and Salmarian are bad enough!”  
  
Rastalin said, “so what is your ‘ _hunch_ ’ telling you?”  
  
”That we are tied somewhat to the events to come on Halau I can’t describe it”.

Rastalin sighed “gee I hate it when you get like this it usually means we’re going to get into some sort of trouble!”

“I can’t help it,” Merlyn said.

“I know’ said Rastalin.

“Here you both are” came Tina’s voice as she stepped up to where they were looking at the stars “Xavier was wondering where you all were”.  
  
”Watching stars,” Merlyn replied.  
  
Tina said, “I see”.  
  
”Merlyn claims that we are linked to Halau in some way” Rastalin said.

Tina looked at Merlyn then and said: “We are? how?”  
  
Merlyn said, “I just have a hunch somewhat, that’s all Tina it’s got me worried.”

Tina said, “well that’s where we’re going to have to get too eventually”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “yeah, I know has Magius made any more progress”.  
  
”He didn’t say whether he had,” Tina said.

“I hope Crysta’s having a good time,” Merlyn remarked.

“I think she is,” Tina said.

“Good,” Merlyn said.  
  
”Crysta always gets the guys!” Rastalin complained.

“Can you blame them, she’s drop-dead gorgeous?” said Merlyn thoughtfully, “besides what are you complaining about your got Anastasia”, Anastasia was Rastalin’s ‘ _sort of’_ girlfriend, their own age, and a fellow Adept, her and Rast had known each other since they were kids, she was currently on the planet Chantal helping with the war effort.   
  
They didn’t expect to see each other again until after the war.  
  
Anastasia’s twin sister Celeste was the one Merlyn liked out of the two of them, she was also currently on Chantal as well.  
  
”I guess,” said Rastalin “I miss her”.  
  
Merlyn said, “we’ll be reunited eventually”.  
  
”You know that do you?” Rast asked.  
  
”I feel it,” said Merlyn.

Tina said, “we’re all going to the museum tomorrow to see if we can find out more about Halau”.

“Think we’ll find an answer?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Here’s hoping,” Tina said, “why don’t you come down now?”  
  
”Have you ever seen Saturn through a telescope?” Merlyn asked.  
  
Tina nodded “yes, I have.”  
  
” I reckon it looks kinda cute,” Merlyn said.

Tina said, “ok, I’ll take a peak”.  
  
Merlyn moved aside and let her look through it, and she did and said: “We need to get you a better telescope Merlyn.”

Merlyn shrugged “I’ve had this one since I was little”.  
  
Tina said, “time we upgraded it then”.  
  
Merlyn said ‘don’t you think Saturn looks cute though through a telescope?”  
  
Tina nodded “yeah I do, have to take you all to Saturn colony one day, it’s an amazing place”.  
  
Merlyn said, “there are so many places to see in the universe and different time streams, and I can’t believe we can go see them all”.  
  
”Beauty of being who we are Merlyn,” Tina said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Merlyn said, “I see that now, I think”.  
  
Tina chuckled “you will eventually I think”.

[1] EITS- This stands for EYE IN THE SKY which is a huge space station in stationary orbit around the planet Crasolia, think Babylon five or DS9, maybe even MIR and you’ll get EITS

[2] Ever seen the planet Saturn through a telescope? It looks quite cute, a little round ball surrounded by rings, which are visible.

[3] Time Lords seem to have this knack for stirring up trouble wherever they go it seems like just that their presence causes things to happen, especially if they travel around in a blue police box! 


	13. July 18th- 2947- Muir Islands- Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Next Morning

It was the next morning as Crystal came out from her comfortable room in the _TARDIS_ to the TARDIS kitchen where Tina and Sal were cooking pancakes.

Merlyn was sitting down in the adjoining room watching the Saturday morning cartoons and Rastalin was flicking through a motor magazine, Xavier had the paper and was reading it.

“Where’s Magius?” Crysta asked.  
  
”Morning Crys have a good time?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Yeah,” said Crystal, “says Tina, why did you bring the Tardis up here?”  
  
Tina said “I couldn’t sleep without the hum of the engines” she flipped a pancake “you didn’t seem to mind”.  
  
Crysta said, “guess I find my bed here more comfortable, this place feels like home now, even the constant hum is comforting”.  
  
”You’re not wrong’ said Merlyn.  
  
”We’ll turn you **all** into _Timelords_ yet’ Xavier teased.

Salmarian put some maple syrup on the table along with all the other sundry breakfast items and said: “ forgot how much I missed the constant hum of the engines “.

Tina said “yeah”.  
  
”Just as well your chameleon circuit works,” Merlyn remarked then.

“Most of the time” Tina admitted, “it looks like a wardrobe at the moment”.  
  
”Where is Magius?” Crysta asked again.  
  
”Checking his ship,” Xavier said, “and probably reporting back to HQ”.

“Oh,” said Crysta.  
  
”Grubs up,” said Tina putting the stack of pancakes on the table “and Crysta, Vorz wants a walk”.  
  
Crystal nodded “I’ll take him for one as soon as I’ve finished breakfast”.  
  
Tina nodded “Ok, so how was your date?”  
  
Crysta thought about her date, how she and Galen had talked all night, shared a great meal and had danced in the shadow of the full moon on the balcony of the restaurant, and how Galen had been so sweet and kissed her gently when he had dropped her off.  
  
”It was great!” Crysta said, “Galen wants to do it sometime again; he says he can’t make this weekend though as their harvesting oysters”.  
  
Xavier looked up and said ‘you didn’t _tell_ him that you’re a Timelord, did you?”  
  
Crysta shook her head “no dad I didn’t, he thinks your Dorenganza or an Elf or something”.  
  
Xavier laughed “me? **_Dorenganza_**! That’s a lark! Or an **_Elf_**!”  
  
Crysta said, “I know, sorry”.  
  
Xavier said, “no it’s fine, I just a little worried what would happen if we told anyone we were Timelords that’s all, I mean this is our time, but still”.  
  
Crysta said “you have a point” as she took some pancakes.  
  
Tina said “we’re going to the museum today to see if we can find anything out about our goal, besides I _like_ museums!  
  
”Sounds good,” said Salmarian nicking the computer section from Xavier’s paper.  
  
”Hay! I hadn’t finished **_reading_** that!” Xavier protested.

“I thought you had’ said Sal opening the section and looking it over.  
  
”I hadn’t,” said Xavier “but it’s Ok”.  
  
”I’ll give it to you when I’m finished’ said Salmarian.  
  
”Fair enough,” Xavier said, taking some pancakes and pouring some golden syrup over it “Australia’s ahead in the Ashes,” he remarked.  
  
”Thought as much,” said Salmarian.  
  
Xavier said, “they’ll probably retain the ashes, how many years has it been now?”  
  
”About 20,” said Salmarian “maybe more”.  
  
”Figures’ Xavier grumbled as he poured himself some tea “where’s the marmalade?” he asked.

“Here’ said Tina putting a couple of jars of jam and marmalade on the table, Tina had stuff like that from all over the universe not to mention made her own.

“One of yours?” Xavier asked.  
  
”Uh, huh,” she said.  
  
He nodded and spread some on his pancakes and picked up the sports section of the newspaper, checking the statistics for the Ashes series and a couple of other games, and the races.

“Those Aussies will probably win,” he said.  
  
Tina poured herself some coffee and said: “I could have told you that!”  
  
”One of the best cricket teams in the universe is the Aussie cricket team,” Salmarian said.  
  
Xavier said, “yep **_unfortunately_** for the English”.  
  
Tina said, “well we’re all going to the museum today, that’s my choice, I am curious to see what it has”.  
  
Xavier nodded “good idea,” he held up his arm “Magius gave me a communicator so we could keep in contact” he indicated the watch he was wearing.  
  
Rastalin said, “I just bet it’s got a laser and that in it as well just like in the movies”.  
  
”I wouldn’t know,” said Xavier, “I think it picks up Artron energy though it went crazy when I put it on and still is detecting it”.  
  
”Just like in the John Foxx movies!” Rastalin said, “could I have a look at it, dad?”  
  
Xavier shrugged and handed it over to his son it also lit up when Rast took it “it’s picking up the Artron energy in your body Rast” Xavier said, “Time Lords all need it, it’s like oxygen, we won’t die without it, but we can’t regenerate”.  
  
Rast said “just like in the movies! See it’s got a laser in it as well. I just bet it’s got a camera as well!” he touched a button. A little thing came out of it, Rastalin aimed it at the table, and they all watched in amazement as a laser came out of the watch and went along the side of the table.  
  
”Careful Rast! That’s genuine mahogany, you know!” Tina scolded.  
  
Rast turned it off and said “see! Just like in the movies”.  
  
Merlyn used his magic to heal the table and said: “yeah so?”  
  
Rast said “wonders what else it does. This is a genuine John Foxx article!”  
  
”Rastalin!” Xavier groaned.  
  
Rastalin looked it over and said, “it’s probably got all the standard features, a laser, a camera, a communicator, a stopwatch all the stuff John Foxx uses in the movies!”  
  
”As well as ** _tell_ **the time,” Xavier said taking the watch back and putting it back on, he indicated the ring he wore, “ this is something else he gave me apparently it’ll protect you from time leakages for a limited period, not that it really affects Magius and me”.  
  
”I just bet it can be twisted as well and emit a high pitched sound to break glass or something as well,” Rast said.  
  
Tina said, “I can do that just by **_singing_**!”.  
  
”We all can to a certain extent,” said Merlyn “right? Just like the Doctor did in that episode with the swamp people?”  
  
Xavier nodded “that we can, but I willing to bet Tina does it better than **_any_** of us could!”  
  
Tina said, “want an example?”  
  
”Nope,” said Xavier.  
  
Tina chuckled and said, “I could break the glass of an entire building if I did it right”.  
  
Xavier chuckled and said, “maybe you’ll get the chance one day”.  
  
Tina said “maybe, remember the _Weirding Way_ out of Dune? I can do that myself, do stuff like that with just sound, not as good as a Star Dragon but good enough, I can’t exactly sing up a sonic boom with quite that strong an effect, I could break every window though in a building”.  
  
Merlyn said, “you don’t really want to be in the way of a Star-Dragons sonic boom”.  
  
”I know,” said Tina.  
  
Xavier said, “well I’ve also been given a time protective helmet as well by Magius, so we are set to take on Basilisk when we can”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “I’m working on the way around the alarm system, I can do it pretty easily actually it’s just going to take some precision”.  
  
Xavier nodded “good work”.  
  
Rastalin nodded and said “I’ve been altering our arsenal, so we can protect ourselves better from the Dark Adepts” Rastalin’s tech knowledge wasn’t as good as Merlyn’s, but, he was good enough, all Jedai knew how to do stuff like that.  
  
”What do you mean?” Xavier asked.  
  
Rastalin said, “ They can be dangerous, this one is probably more powerful than either Merlyn or I, to take him out is going to take teamwork and some crafty gadgets, I’m going to make amulets or something for us all, to protect us all from his mind tricks and that, as Knights, Merlyn and I are immune but the rest of you aren’t, and although you can probably resist him rather well, I am not taking any chances, we also should be pretty well protected in our armour, but you guys don’t have it, so I have to work around that somehow to protect you all”.  
  
”Oh,” said Xavier he had forgotten about the Dark Adept.

“Trust me on this one,” Rast said.  
  
”Ok Rast we will,” said Xavier, willing to let it go.  
  
”I know you guys have built-in defences against mind control and all that, but, you can never be too safe” he held up something he was working on “ this will go into an amulet or something, it will cloud your mind enough so that the Adepts can’t get into it, but you won’t notice anything”.  
  
Xavier nodded “fair enough”.  
  
”Quin and I are pretty much immune to Dark Adept mind control, we have the same training after all, but you lot have never gone up against one before”.  
  
There was a knock on the door. Tina checked the scanner and saw that it was Magius, so she opened the door and let him in.  
  
”morning Magius” Merlyn said, looking up from his coffee.  
  
Magius said, “good morning Quinawah”.  
  
”Shucks you can **_tell_** us apart already!” Rast complained.  
  
”It’s not that hard to do,” Magius remarked “all you have to do is get to know you Tilanthalas,[1]” Magius said, “you and your brother **_aren't_** identical”.  
  
” We know” Rastalin groaned “but I **_hate_** _Tilanthalas_! Ok not **_hate_** I just prefer to be called Rastalin, suits me better and everyone’s always called me Rastalin anyway!”  
  
Magius smiled and then said, “Ok fair enough, guess we can’t quibble Xavier doesn’t go by his proper name anyway and nor do most of us”.  
  
”My real name is too long and difficult to pronounce,” Tina said, “so Tina I am”.  
  
”Yeah” Xavier agreed, “Aeryn had the right idea though when she named you three, she only gave you boys a Dorenganzan name and called our daughter Crystal”.  
  
”Was Aeryn her actual name?” Quin asked.  
  
”Aeryn was a shortened version of her name I can’t remember it entirely, but, Aeryn was a part of it, she preferred to go by Aeryn. Actually, I noticed that with your guys you also seem to prefer to shorten your names or go by a favoured nickname or pet name”.  
  
”And I prefer Crysta rather than Crystal,” said Crysta.  
  
Xavier asked, “what is it, Magius?”  
  
Magius said, “I was wondering what you were doing today?”  
  
Xavier said, “well Tina wanted to go to the museum to check up on the history of Halau if you need me however I won’t go with them".  
  
Magius nodded ‘that is fine, I need to run some errands and checks anyway before we make the final plans”.  
  
Xavier nodded “keep in touch then, we’ll report back on what we find”.  
  
Magius nodded “you have my word”.

Xavier said, “Ok If we’re going, let’s go”.  
  
Magius handed Xavier his keys to his car “take my car I won’t be needing it today”.  
  
”Well Ok but are you sure?”  
  
”Yes,” he said.  
  
”Ok,” said Xavier.  
  
Magius said, “keep in touch, Ok?”  
  
”Promise,” said Xavier.

[1] I don’t know whether this has already been mentioned but Quivalan and Tilanthalas are Merlyn’ s and Rastalin’s proper names, but like most Dorenganza they prefer to be called by their nicknames, which are Merlyn and Rastalin, Merlyn is Quinawah and Rastalin is Tilanthalas.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kids and their Dad go on a road trip. James Bond style!!

A few moments later the group walked out to the car park outside, and Xavier said: “the six of us aren’t going to fit in there”.  
  
Tina shrugged “you take the kids Sal and I will take the hire car,” she said.  
  
”Ok,” said Xavier.  
  
”Wow! A real John Foxx car!” Rast exclaimed going to check it out “bet it’s got all the bits and pieces too! Can I drive?”  
  
”No!” said Xavier “ _I’ll_ drive”.  
  
”Darn,” said Rast climbing in the front until Xavier told him to get in the back.  
  
”You are way too excitable Tilan,” said Xavier “for all I know you’ll ejector seat us all out of it or something! Merlyn **_you’re_** in the front with me”.  
  
Rast groaned “no _fair_!” but he obeyed none the less because when he thought about it, Xavier was probably right, he would want to check out all the buttons and features it was his nature, though not as technically minded as Merlyn he did like and know cars.  
  
Crysta smothering a giggle got into the back next to her brother and put her sunnies on “can we have the top-down dad?”  
  
”Sure,” said Xavier putting the roof down “don’t forget to strap in though”.  
  
”Yes dad,” she said putting on her hat as well, Rast pulled the hood of his robe up and put his sunglasses on, Xavier put on a foldable hat and his own sunglasses, and Merlyn put his Akubra on.  
  
Crysta said, “what music has Magius got?”  
  
”I don’t think he’s put any in yet,” said Xavier “the CD’s in the boot go for your life Crysta”.  
  
”Cool!” she said.  
  
A few moments later listening to the sounds of **Grease,** they were cruising along the road to the museum.

Merlyn was checking the automatic map and Rast was just enjoying the situation of cruising along the road in a cool looking car with the top down, wishing it were **_he_** that was driving it and not his father.  
  
Rastalin said “why didn’t you change into a younger-looking person dad. You look to be in your middle years?”  
  
Xavier chuckled “ Regeneration doesn’t quite always work the way you want it Tilan, it’s a mixed bag at best, besides I quite like the way I look now, I look old enough to be the father of three children in their late teens and quite frankly that suits our purposes at the moment”.  
  
”You said you didn’t look like you did now when we three were born,” Rast said, “what did you look like?”  
  
”Tall with blonde curly hair, blue eyes and fair skin, kind of like the sixth Doctor actually only with better dress sense and not quite so arrogant”.

“Oh,” said Rast “that must be so weird though”.  
  
Xavier said, “it is, and it isn’t, Regeneration Is part of what and who we all are”.  
  
Rastalin said, “you know I am still getting over that concept, but I seem to be able to accept it better than what I thought I would maybe it’s because I am also Dorenganza and we are also shapeshifters by nature”.  
  
Xavier nodded “that is probably the reason another reason why I fell in love with your mother; she accepted me for who and what I was”.  
  
”You know it is kind of a weird concept of Timelords having kids, but I guess it worked for you seeing we’re here,” Rast said.  
  
Xavier said, “that you are, you saw Magius‘s reaction didn’t you when I told him you were my children?”  
  
”Yeah,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Guess I’m a little odd then,” Xavier said “but the point is I am glad I did, that I took that chance, you three weren’t accidents you know, Aeryn and I were in love, we wanted so badly to have a family to complete it, we weren’t sure that it would work. We can breed with other races it’s just isn’t guaranteed, we were thinking of adopting than Aeryn found out that she was pregnant with you twins. Crystal we weren’t sure whether we could have another, but we did, and that was you, I am glad that it worked for her and me”.  
  
Merlyn said, “so are we, we’ve been orphans all of our lives to find we actually have a father is a gift I feel”.  
  
Xavier said, “you three were a gift to Aeryn and me, I am glad I have found you all again I thought you all dead”.  
  
”Tina and Sal want kids too,” said Crysta.  
  
Xavier nodded “I know, I wish them all the luck at achieving that goal; actually, they’ll find it a little easier seeing they're both of the same race”.  
  
Crysta asked “what of us?”  
  
Xavier said, “you’ll probably be in the same boat as Aeryn and me, but as you can see it does work it just isn’t always guaranteed”.  
  
Crysta nodded “I’ll probably marry a Dorenganza though, that should make it easier, shouldn’t it?”  
  
Xavier said, “technically, yes”.  
  
”And us?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”You too,” he said frowning in his rear-view mirror as he caught sight of the black car that seemed to be trailing them, it could just be a coincidence of course, but his time-lord senses told him.  
  
Otherwise, he decided to keep an eye on it though and not tell the three children.

The three children were singing along with the CD now as it was playing **_Grease Lightning_** they could all sing he noticed, especially Merlyn, he remembered Tina saying he could.  
  
” _It’s automatic; it’s hydromantic, its greased Lightning!!”_ the kids all sang and laughing they all sang along with the chorus.  
  
Xavier smiled and enjoyed the good-spirited feeling that was in the car and then added his own voice, he wasn’t too bad either he had been told.  
  
”Sometime I am going to have to take you all to see the stage show of that,” he said to them when the song had finished.  
 **  
”** Really!” Crysta said.  
  
”Yes really,” he said, “along with some of the classics, of course, Othello, that sort of thing”.  
  
”I wouldn’t mind going to see **_Phantom of the Opera_** ,” said Merlyn suddenly “heard that is really good on stage”.  
  
Xavier nodded “which _century_ would you like to go see it in?” he asked.  
  
They all looked at him, and he laughed “we have a working TT capsule, remember? So which century would you like to go see it in?”  
  
”Would Tina agree?” Rastalin asked.  
  
”Of course, she would!” Xavier said, “we have such plans for all three of you, you know, and I feel honoured that Tina is quite happy to have me as part of her crew”.  
  
Crysta said, “I so want to see the Regency period!”  
  
Merlyn said, “I wouldn’t mind going to ancient Greece actually and Biblical times and see the pyramids and all”.  
  
”You would!” Rastalin scoffed “ Typical Jedaini Consular!”  
  
Merlyn said, “admit it Rast you want to see the Pyramids as well”.  
  
Rastalin said, “I guess so, but I’d also like to go see Bathurst Car Race and that as well, and the industrial period of the late 19th century, that would be interesting”.  
  
”Medieval Europe,” said Crysta “or _Camelot_!”  
  
”The beginning of the universe” Rast added.  
  
Xavier said “Ok, ok enough is enough! Let’s just survive this encounter first”.  
  
Crysta said, “Ok say have we got any drinks or anything in this car, I’m thirsty”.  
  
”It’s John’s Foxx’s car he’s bound to have a fridge somewhere!” Rastalin said, “he always does in the movies!”  
  
Xavier said, “we’ll get you drinks at the museum Crysta”.  
  
”Ok,” said Crysta settling down to enjoy the passing scenery.  
  
Merlyn handed Crysta his water bottle “go on here”.  
  
”Thanks Merlyn,” she said, opening it and taking a drink “you always seem to be prepared”.  
  
” A Jedaini Knight is always prepared,” Merlyn said.  
  
Rastalin groaned “Quin’s memorised the _entire_ codex, he keeps a copy of it beside his bed”.  
  
Merlyn said, “wouldn’t hurt you to read it sometime Tilan”.  
  
Rastalin said, “I been doing quite enough reading at the moment thank you very much with all that stuff Tina and that have been giving us !”  
  
Xavier said, “I’m sorry about that Tilan but you three don’t yet realise what you are actually capable of doing yet, your young Timelords you need to know what you are capable of for you own sanity, safety and the universes”.  
  
Rastalin said, “I know, I know, but Geez it can get so _boring_!”  
  
Xavier had to smile “we all had to do it,” he said “I admit to falling asleep during classes at the college sometimes when I was your age!” he continued “it is important though that you know it”.  
  
Merlyn said, “just as reading the Codex is”.  
  
”Don’t you start?” Rastalin groaned “I swear you sometimes sound just like Master Casamir!”  
  
Xavier said, “ we’re almost there guys” he checked the rear-view mirror the black car was still there it was a bit behind them, but it still seemed to be trailing them.  
  
”Cool!” Crysta said.  
  
A few minutes later they drove into the carpark of the Earth Science’s Museum, it was old having been built in the 20th century, it had been badly damaged when the meteors had hit Earth, but they had been forewarned of that happening.   
  
They had moved all the relics and that into the underground vaults built during the first or second world war.

And in the years of plague, chaos, and darkness that had followed the meteors they had taken good care of the relics and added more to the vaults when it had been deemed safe to come out again, they had rebuilt the museum using the original design and added a couple more wings to it, it was now larger than it had been.  
  
Muir Islands hadn’t been severely affected by the meteors though, not as bad as some of the world, many said that the magic of the islands themselves had protected the islands from severe damage.  
  
All that was known was that the Muir Islands had somehow survived the meteors and was once again a thriving independent country.  
  
” There are Tina and Sal,” said Merlyn.  
  
Xavier pulled in beside their car and noted that the black car had vanished maybe it had just been co-incidence after all, but he wasn’t so sure, he still felt that something wasn’t right.  
  
Tina said “hi”.  
  
Xavier said, “I got a little lost” he put the top of the car up and locked it and alarmed it.  
  
The kids all got out, Merlyn brushed his robes down and checked that he still had his lightsword and all that, noone would question his right to wear it.  
  
Tina said, “so where do you want to start?”  
  
Xavier said, “Crysta would like a drink”.  
  
”Ok the cafeteria then,” said Tina.  
  
They walked into the museum, which was free admission.   
  
Tina checked out the museum map noting that one of the wings was dedicated to Kaladaren the so-called ‘ _Forbidden Isle_ ’ where the ruins of an ancient civilisation had been found. A Stargate, it was called the **_Quivalan Midnite_** wing.  
  
”Prof Quivalan Midnite” Xavier said noticing as well “I remember reading about him, he was the first alien archaeologist on Earth, Gorta-Trellian I believe. It was he who discovered the ruins on Kaladaren and the Gate, a man definitely among one of the greatest of Earth’s scientists”.  
  
”Midnite, I wonder if he was related to Prince Durnaa?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”I believe so or at least of the same clan,” Xavier said, “ quite a notable personage, one we really should get to meet one day”.  
  
”What happened to the Gate?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”I think they moved it at some point,” said Xavier “or so they say”.  
  
Merlyn said “Gee”.  
  
Xavier said, “We definitely should have a look at that one”.  
  
”Is Kaladaren still accessible?” Merlyn asked.  
  
Tina nodded “yes it’s opened to the tourists now, but no one’s ever been able to find the Gate though, might be worth checking out actually, they allow Tourists on the island to look around the ruins, many say it is haunted”.  
  
”And the hidden Island?” Rastalin asked.  
  
”Yet again no one’s ever been able to find that, many say it is just a rumour,” Tina said, “ where you hear that one?”  
  
”Mr Kingsley,” Merlyn said.  
  
Tina laughed and said, “figures, I am not saying it isn’t true though”.  
  
”I want a drink!” Crysta said then.  
  
Tina laughed and said, “Ok, come on then”.  
  
They found the cafeteria after walking around for a bit. It had people there already sipping coffee and that, the war might be bad for tourism, but, the people who had been confined to the islands due to it were taking full advantage of that fact, It wasn’t such a wrong place to be stuck considering Tina reflected.  
  
Tina took their orders and went to the cashier and said “ two muggacino’s, a pot of Earl Grey tea, one iced coffee, a mocha in a mug, and an ice cream soda, raspberry thanks, as well as three pieces of mud cake, two lots of scones with jam and cream, and a piece of -Banana cake. I think that’s everyone”.  
  
”Kids, huh?” the cashier asked with a smile.  
  
”And _husbands_ ” Tina replied with a smirk.

“Men!” the cashier said, rolling her eyes, “ok sit down and I’ll bring it out to you”.  
  
”Thanks,” Tina said, frowning as she caught sight of four men sitting nearby watching her table without trying to be too obvious about it, they were dressed like everyone else, but somehow Tina didn’t think that they were tourists, she wondered If anyone else had noticed them.  
  
Damm it was annoying been a Timelady at times!   
  
All of her race had heightened senses and the other powers her race all had, including their knack for getting in trouble! Sometimes Tina wished she were just human!  
  
Tina walked back to their table, pretending she hadn’t noticed the men and sat down “I hope I didn’t mix up anyone’s order”.  
  
Xavier looked up from his paper and said: “I’m sure you didn’t.”  
  
Tina turned to Xavier “have you seen those men?” she indicated with her eyes.  
  
Xavier nodded “Uhhuh I think they were following me as we drove here, I don’t know whether the kids have noticed them yet”.  
  
Sal leaned over and said, “Arr, so you have noticed them too?”  
  
Tina nodded “yep I have, I don’t think the kids have yet though”.

“Wonder what they want?” Sal wondered.  
  
”Well Magius did say he was sure Basilisk knew that they were here,” Xavier said.  
  
”You think they're connected?” Tina asked.  
  
”Yes I do, I am sure they are,” Xavier said, “I feel it, in here” he touched his chest.  
  
”Keep an eye on them then,” said Tina.  
  
”Do you think they _know_ what we are?” Salmarian asked.  
  
”I don’t think so, but don’t quote me on it,” Xavier said, he turned back to his paper “damn the Aussies they're thrashing the English! In cricket!”  
  
Tina chuckled “a Pom could never beat an Aussie when it comes to Cricket!”  
  
”They did in the early 21st century,” said Xavier dryly.  
  
”That was terrible refereeing decisions, and bad weather!” Salmarian scoffed “and the fact that the team was going through some rough spots”.  
  
”How do you know?”  
  
”We were _there_!” Tina said.  
  
”Oh, so was I!” Xavier said, “I looked a little different admittingly, but I was there as well!”  
  
”So did we,” said Tina.  
  
He sighed “Aeryn was going for the Australians as well!”  
  
”Way to go Aeryn,” said Tina.  
  
Xavier sighed “I would have to be surrounded by _Australians,_ wouldn’t I? The last few remaining members of our race and you **have** to be Australians wouldn’t you!”  
  
”Nothing wrong with being an Australian,” said Tina.  
  
”You outshone us in Soccer though,” said Salmarian “but football, now that was a different story! We are probably as good as each other in that”.  
  
The waitress came over with their order and with help distributed their food and drinks and said: “pay me when you’re finished”.  
  
”Ok thanks,” said Merlyn, taking his mocha and scones.  
  
Xavier looked up from his paper and said: “thanks the other scones are mine”.  
  
Tina took her mud cake and said: “one of the Muggacino’s are mine”.  
  
Once they had all been sorted, the waitress left them, and Xavier turned back to his paper and remarked: “this wars getting worse”.  
  
Tina nodded “I know you may be stuck with us for a while”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I don’t mind”.  
  
Tina noticed that Merlyn was looking at the men himself the barest hint of a frown on his features; clearly, he had seen them as well.  
  
Tina said, “Arh, you **_noticed_** our watchers as well have you?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “what do they _want_ with us?”  
  
”I don’t know Quinawah,” she said.  
  
”I just bet it’s connected to Basilisk”.  
  
”Take it easy Merlyn we don’t know that!”  
  
”I can feel it!”  
  
Xavier and Tina looked at each other, and Xavier said “he’s a **_Timelord_** alright” there was a quiet pride in his voice.  
  
Tina nodded “so how we going to go about this?”  
  
”Maybe we should just stick together,” Xavier said, putting the paper away “strength in numbers that type of thing” he poured another cup of tea.  
  
Merlyn nodded “yeah probably”.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Group check out the museum and find something that they don't quite expect to find!

A few moments later, the group were wandering down towards the museum proper heading towards the room marked **Halau**.  
  
”What do you expect to find?” Xavier asked Tina.

“I’m not sure I will find anything actually, but it’s worth a try isn’t it?”  
  
”Fair enough,” said Xavier as they entered the room.  
  
Merlyn looked at one of the displays it was a model of the Muir Islands that showed the Islands as they were set out, Muir Island was the biggest Island with Oahu the next biggest than there was Halau, Telau, Kaladaren, Tanhu, and various others, Merlyn realised that the Muir Islands were a lot bigger than he had believed.  
  
He had thought they were all rather small, but this model showed that they weren’t.  
  
It made him realise just how little time he had spent and little knowledge he had of the planet Earth.  
  
Rast looked at the models himself and said “hey, there’s Tanhu! It’s bigger than I thought it was actually.”  
  
Merlyn said, “it’s made me realise one thing though we really don’t know a lot about Earth do we?”  
  
”No, we don’t” Rast admitted.  
  
Crysta came over and looked as well, unlike her brothers she had spent a little more time on Earth than they had, just not in the Muir Islands.  
  
”There’s quite a few ain’t there?” she asked.  
  
” _ **Aren’t**_ not _**ain’t**_ ” Salmarian corrected her “you’re not a street waif anymore Crystal”.  
  
”Sorry Professor,” she said and rolled her eyes and said to her brothers “he _**always**_ does that! You’d think being an Australian he’d overlook that”.  
  
Salmarian came over and said, “I heard that Crysta, just because I’m an Australian doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate **good** English”.  
  
”Yes Professor,” she said both Merlyn and Rast smothered a laugh.  
  
Salmarian said, “the Muir Islands are bigger than you believed eh, Merlyn?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “yes, they are I realise how little I know about this planet, Crysta probably knows more about Earth than we do!”  
  
Salmarian nodded “ Earth is quite one of my **_favourite_** planets actually, one of the reasons I became a freelance courier and transport operator was so I could travel around a bit, despite the lack of a TT capsule, after a fashion I grew to love it”.  
  
Rastalin groaned at that point “you sound so like the _**Doctor**_!”  
  
Salmarian chuckled and said, “Nah, that’s Xavier!”  
  
”You as well at times, next thing you’d tell us is that _humans are quite one of your favourite species_!”  
  
Salmarian said “well they are!” then he paused and thought it over “I **do** sound a bit like The Doctor, don’t I?”  
  
Rast, Merlyn and Crysta all nodded solemnly, and then they all burst into laughter, including Salmarian.  
  
Salmarian sighed “yee Gads I’m **_turning_** into the Doctor!” he made a mock horrified look and then shrugged “had to happen I guess”.  
  
Merlyn said, “you’re a bit more down to Earth though and not quite so eccentric”.  
  
Salmarian said, “I’m glad you think so Quin”.  
  
”Just as long as you don’t go around dressing in tasteless coloured frock coats or a floppy hat and a long scarf!” Rastalin said, “I actually kind of like your red headed ‘ _Van Helsing_ ’ look!”  
  
” **Shoot** me if I ever start **doing** that!” Salmarian said, “Come on Kids Xavier and Tina has left us behind”.  
  
They caught up with Xavier and Tina who were both looking at a model of the old fortress on Halau, what it had looked like when it was built probably back in the 16th or 17th century ( they were still unsure about the date it had been made).  
  
”Wow!” Tilan said, “what I would give to have a model like that!”  
  
Salmarian said “could probably build a similar one with a bit of work” some things he had found he had in common with Tilanthalas and Quinawah was a fondness for building models, online Gaming, Role-playing games, tabletop wargaming, model cars of all kinds, and train sets, it had helped his relationship with the twins considerably as he had gotten to know Tina’s two young companions, after all, they were his young companion’s long lost brothers.  
  
”You think so?” Tilan asked, “I think it look good as part of a train set or something”.  
  
Salmarian nodded “yes it would, we’d have to make it to scale though”.  
  
Tina chuckled and said, “guys we’re here to see if we can find any clues not discuss _model building_ ”.  
  
”Sorry, Tina,” he said.  
  
Xavier was looking at the description of the fortress, slightly envying the banter between Sal and Tilan, would he ever manage to be able to do that with his children?  
  
Sal hadn’t known the twins much longer than he had and yet he was quite comfortable with both of them and they him and had managed to find something in common with both of them.  
  
Merlyn looked at the description himself and remarked: “I can see why Basilisk has made the abandoned fortress as his base of operations, there’s like all these hidden tunnels under them, and I bet he’s connected to the clinic out there as well”.  
  
”Apparently he practically owns Halau,” Tina said, “they still let the tourists out there due to the sea caves and the bird sanctuary, but, the fortress itself is off-limits, due to a restoration project, which is probably funded by Basilisk”.  
  
”Sea caves,” said Xavier “that is probably where he has got his base of operations”.  
  
”The Islands are full of them, “Merlyn said, “according to this they used to hide all the ammunition and that down in the sea caves under the fortress”.  
  
”Which is probably how we can get into it,” Xavier said.  
  
”Uh huh,” said Merlyn “strangely enough when the meteors hit Earth all those years ago, the Muir Islands emerged relatively unscathed, it is still something of a mystery why, many say it was the magic of the islands that saved it, and judging by the size of  
  
the nodes that surround the islands that’s a pretty fair assumption, the fortress has remained as it is for hundreds of years”.  
  
Xavier nodded and said, “I **_noticed_** the nodes”.  
  
”I think those of us who are sensitive to such things all did,” said Salmarian.  
  
”Do you think Basilisk might actually be a Mage?” Tina asked.  
  
”Quite possibly,” said Xavier “one of the nodes is directly under Halau”.  
  
”But how come it has remained relatively unchanged for so long?” Rastalin asked, “I mean, wouldn’t natural erosion affect it?”  
  
”Magic,” said Xavier.  
  
”Or Time,” Merlyn said then making them all look at him.  
  
”Go on” Tina encouraged.  
  
Merlyn continued “ maybe time is a bit different on Halau or something, where it has come in contact with the magic of the islands, maybe time is slowed somewhat, the node is directly under Halau but what if it is not only the node that has left the fortress

relatively unchanged? Magius said he could sense that time was out of joint near Halau”.  
  
”But wouldn’t anyone notice that?” Rastalin asked.  
  
”Not if they weren’t Time Sensitive,” Tina said, “ Quin has a point, we've all felt that since arriving here, Time might have slowed down somewhat on Halau but not to such effect that it’s noticeable or harmful, and only in certain areas of the Island, the

fortress been one, we have to get out to the island to be sure. Still, I think maybe Quin has a point. That Basilisk is a Mage of some power, and perhaps has some access to the Sphere of Time, that is not impossible in humans just somewhat rare, Basilisk may

be using that to his advantage”.  
  
Xavier nodded “ your right Tina we should go to the island, sniff around a bit and see what we can dig up, Magius believes that he is stockpiling some sort of time active weapons on that island and then there is what the kids saw underwater near the island”.  
  
”Maybe Basilisk isn’t even human” Tina suggested, “maybe he’s T’ron or something like that”.  
  
”That is another possibility,” Tilan said “ the T’ron can like us, quite easily disguise themselves as human. Like us, they look Dorenganza because technically they are! Especially if they disguise their ritual scars and that, your all seen how easily we can all

change the colour of our hair, our eyes and skin, changes like that are easy even a toddler can do it, it’s one of the first things we learn to do, cosmetic changes take no effort whatsoever on our part for both of our races. Even we three with our somewhat  
  
limited shapeshifting ability due to our mixed-blood can do simple cosmetic changes like that without a problem”.  
  
Xavier looked at the twins and Crysta and asked: “just how like the Dorenganza is the T’ron?”  
  
Quinawah said “ ** _exactly_** like us, we’re the same species! Their just the evil side, we’re like the two sides of a coin one evil, one good, the Dorenganza are the ‘ _good_ ’ side the T’ron the ‘ _evil_ ’.”  
  
”And the dark Xanaduens?”  
  
”They’re just Dorenganza who have chosen to walk the path of darkness, they’re not T’ron, even the Darksiders will fight with us Lightsiders against the T’ron, the Darksiders actually aren’t all that evil, they're more Neutral with just a touch of darkness, just  
  
as we are more Neutral with a strong streak of Goodness! I suppose they are more like the Nephilim or Dark Angels.”  
  
”Oh,” said Xavier.  
  
“The T’ron are our ancient enemies,” Rast said “but like us, they are hard to kill and probably are needed to retain the balance between Good and Evil. The Darksiders will stand with us in the war, not against us, and they will not change sides”.  
  
”Oh,” said Xavier.  
  
”It has always been thus,” Quinawah said.  
  
Xavier turned to the boys “did you sense anything like that when you were there?”  
  
”Only what we all have been” Quin replied, “and the Dark Adepts of course, which I don’t think is Basilisk”.  
  
  
”You don’t,” Xavier asked.  
  
”I did at first but then decided it didn’t suit, a couple of his henchmen are Dark Adepts, but I don’t think Basilisk himself is”.  
  
”Oh, that’s a relief,” said Xavier.

“But Basilisk must be pretty powerful though,” Tina said.  
  
”No doubt but he is not a Dark Adept,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Good,” said Tina “another **_Mage_** I can handle”.  
  
Merlyn had wandered into the exhibit a bit further and was reading the explanations of the displays and looking at the old photographs, some of them were actually really old as they were sepia photographs, showing the fortress during the second world war  
  
and that where it had last been used as a fortress by soldiers stationed in the Muir Islands.  
  
”They used the fortress as a fortress during the first and second world wars,” Merlyn remarked, “but then they closed it down and turned it into a tourist attraction, especially after it became apparent that there was a sanctuary of rare wildlife out there and  
  
that the island had sea caves all under it, it remained that way for years then the meteors hit”.  
  
”Here’s a more recent photo of it,” said Rastalin “you know it doesn’t look that much different than it did when it was actually **_used_** as a fortress, it’s like something’s protecting it from time”.  
  
”Must be the node, it's right under it?” said Salmarian.  
  
Merlyn said “or something else” he wandered around a bit and suddenly stopped dead “oh my Gods!” they heard him say.  
  
”What is it, Quin?” Xavier asked.  
  
Merlyn pointed to a display case, and said: “uh I think you better come have a look at this!”  
  
”Merlyn what is it?” Tina asked.  
  
They went over and saw what he was indicating, and Rastalin said: “how is that **_possible_**?”  
  
”Anything’s possible with time travel,” Xavier said.  
  
Salmarian looked in amazement at object Merlyn had found, “Oh my _**Gosh**_!”  
  
The object they were all looking at was a photo of the ruins, framed and clearly, in excellent condition, the caption said that it had been donated to the museum by Quivalan Midnite’s estate, who had died about 100 years ago.  
  
The display was about how the fortress had become popular with the tourists after it had been taken out of commission as a fortress. It was one of several photos in the case showing groups of people wandering through it.  
  
But what was the most amazing part of this particular photo was the subject, it showed a group of people adults and teenagers wandering through the fortress, underneath the caption denoted that it was a group from Muir Island High on a daytrip.  
  
But it was _**who**_ was in it that was the amazing part, some of the tour members were themselves, there they all were, Rastalin, Merlyn, Crysta, Xavier, Tina, Salmarian, and Prof Quivalan Midnite himself, they were all clearly smiling for the picture, trouble was  
  
the date on it was **_2nd November 2020_**!  
  
”That was taken over _**900**_ years ago!” Crysta gasped “but how can we be there and here at the same time! Xavier said “we were there? But why?”  
  
“And wasn’t that the year of the **_Covid19_** Pandemic?” Merlyn asked.  
  
” Well you did say you wanted to meet Prof Midnite,” Rastalin remarked, “and clearly at some point we do”.  
  
”That photo hasn’t even been **_taken_** yet!” Crysta said, “how can we be there?”  
  
Tina said, “that is all part of been what we all are, clearly at some point in the not too distant future as none of you looks any older, we go back to the Muir Islands in **_2020_** and get that photo taken”.  
  
”But why are we there?” Xavier asked.  
  
”Doesn’t this cause a **_paradox_** or something?” Rast asked.  
  
”No,” said Xavier “it is a photograph, a 900-year-old photograph, that is a glimpse of our future, but it’s not really a harmful one”.  
  
Salmarian said “it’s kind of eerie though isn’t it? It has to be more than a coincidence though, with our kind it always is”.  
  
”So we do get to meet Prof Midnite at some point,” said Xavier.  
  
”And not too far away in the future,” Tina said, “notice the kids don’t look any older and we all look the same”.  
  
”So at some point, we come back to the Muir Islands in the year **_2020_** and meet Prof Quivalan Midnite and go to the fortress on Halau,” Xavier remarked “ and get our photo taken which probably seemed like a good idea at the time” he sighed “what a mess”.  
  
”You make it sound like that’s a bad thing,” said Merlyn.  
  
Xavier said “it is, and it isn’t, but there are reasons why we usually avoid getting our photos taken” he indicated the display case “that’s **_one_** of them”.  
  
”Oh,” said Rast “so people don’t recognise us when they see photos years later”.  
  
”Yes,” said Xavier.  
  
Rastalin nodded “I guess that makes sense, you know I could get it out if you want, all it takes is a little manipulating the molecules”.  
  
”No,” said Xavier “is probably not doing any harm where it is”.  
  
”Ok,” said Rast.  
  
”I wonder how long it’s been here,” said Tina.  
  
”Probably years and years, probably since he died or something, I assume he’s dead,” said Crysta.  
  
Xavier nodded “ even Gorta-Trellian don’t live forever no he is dead now, lived to the ripe old age of around 900 or 1000 though and eventually died of old age around 100 years ago, naturally and in his sleep. This from what I gather is pretty normal for an earth Dwelling Gorta-Trellian”.  
  
”Uh, huh,” said Merlyn.  
  
”What he **must** have **_seen_** ,” said Xavier “ those early years of CAW were full of new discoveries and new challenges, he was living when Earthlings first took their first steps out to colonizing new worlds, the discoveries they found, it was an interesting period  
  
in Terran history, those first space colonies, it was a **_whole_** new frontier then.”  
  
”No you do sound like someone else we all know!” Merlyn groaned.  
  
Xavier shrugged “I don’t care”.  
  
Salmarian spoke then “you sound like you really admire Prof Quivalan Midnite”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I do, he was one of Earth’s foremost scientists in his time, he discovered so much, including Inoteps pyramid in Egypt, early in his career, and Kaladaren is what made him famous. I have all his books and everything, so yes I do admire him”.  
  
”Maybe that is why we’re all in that photo,” Tina said then “which one is Prof Quivalan? There are **_several_** GT in that photo”.  
  
Xavier looked at it and pointed to the tall white haired Gorta-Trellian male who was standing at the back with a GT girl of about 14 next to him “that is him, and that is his daughter Jenalia, she followed in her father’s footsteps as well and became quite  
  
notable herself, and is quite possibly still alive! There are her descendants alive today, she had about 3 children. She was obviously still a child herself when this photo was taken”.  
  
”She’s pretty’ said Crysta.  
  
”Grew up to be extraordinarily beautiful, she even did a bit of modelling when she got older, but been an archaeologist was her passion much like it was her father’s,” Xavier said, “ she became quite notable herself eventually”.  
  
Salmarian said, “you really did admire him, didn’t you?”  
  
Xavier nodded “yes I did, I wonder if we can get a copy of that photo”.  
  
”Maybe we already have,” said Tina.  
  
”It hasn’t been taken yet,” said Xavier “maybe we will eventually”.  
  
Crysta said “whoa this is confusing me something severe! Trying to get this over in my head that we are standing looking at a photo that hasn’t even been _taken_ yet!”  
  
Tina chuckled “you’ll get used to it, comes of been one of our kind Crysta”.  
  
”But how can that be?”  
  
Xavier said, “We walk outside Time; Crysta, we always have done so, it probably explains my presence, why I am here when the future I know was changed, and Magius’s seeing he’s from the same future I am it is part of who you are”.  
  
Crysta said “this is all so **_confusing_** for me! Why can’t I have been just a normal half-breed, half GT or something?”  
  
Tina said, “you three are meant for greater things.”  
  
”I guess so, but still it is all so confusing,” Crysta said.  
  
”You’ll get used to it,” said Salmarian.  
  
”Are you sure, Professor?” she said using the name that she called him throughout all their travels.  
  
”Yes,” he said, “Ok, let’s see what else we can find, huh?”  
  
Xavier remarked as they looked at a display of ancient Egypt “a lot of this stuff probably would have passed through Quivalan’s hands, he used to work for the Earth Sciences institute which is just down the road, and was connected to the museum, he  
  
probably walked these walls, _helped_ with these displays”.  
  
”The museum was rebuilt after the meteors hit Earth,” Tina said.  
  
”Oh yeah I forgot that,” said Xavier “I wonder if he was buried on these islands, he had a deep love for these islands!”  
  
”We could check the display devoted to him,” said Tina.  
  
”Ok,” said Xavier as they headed toward the said room.

Once in there they looked around the display, it mainly contained photos and articles and the like, it said it had all been donated by the ‘ _Quivalan Midnite Estate_ ’.  
  
”Guess you know someone’s a legend when you find a whole display _devoted_ to them after their been dead,100 years later.” Merlyn said reading an article.  
  
Xavier nodded “guess you do, I don’t think Quivalan ever thought he’d become famous and he would never suspect that 900 years later that the museum would have a display devoted to him”.  
  
Merlyn said, “it says here that his old house is still here that is what is known as the ‘ _Quivalan Midnite Estate_ ’ it’s been turned into a bed & Breakfast and is run by one of his descendants, it is also something of a museum as well.”  
  
Xavier said, “We should check it out”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “and yes he was buried on the Island the information’s here”.  
  
Tina said, “he was quite well known, wasn’t he?”  
  
Xavier nodded “especially after Kaladaren”.  
  
”But what has this **_got_ **to do with Basilisk?” Rast asked then.  
  
”Probably nothing,” said Tina.  
  
Xavier said, “I just really admire Quivalan Midnite that’s all but you are right Tilan, Magius is relying on us to help him out”.  
  
Tina said, “there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot here to help us actually, but we might as well enjoy the rest of the trip”.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day at the Museum continued

**C** rysta was looking in the bird section of the museum at the stuffed birds and admiring their bright colours, her guardian before Salmarian had been a fauna and flora specialist, and had gotten Crysta interested in her work.   
  
When she had died on Crasolia during the recent war there, she had left all her journals and that to Crysta, so Crysta as a sign of respect and admiration she had for her guardian continued her work.  
  
Crysta loved animals and was interested in their world; she had added her own notes to her guardian’s journals, amazed at her ability to absorb so much information and remember it.  
  
Xavier claimed that was normal for her, but Crysta was still working out what was ‘ _normal_ ’ for a young Timelord and suspected that she wasn’t the only one, so were her two brothers.  
  
She became aware of Quinawah as he walked up to her, and he said: “there you are I was wondering where you had gotten to.”  
  
”I was just matching my notes with the birds,” she said, “my Guardian before Salmarian found me was a Naturalist. Well, I sort of got interested in what she was doing, and when she died, I continued on her work”.  
  
”Your upbringing has been so _different_ to ours,” Merlyn remarked “I wonder if that was intended or otherwise? Why were we separated?”  
  
”I don’t know,” said Crysta.  
  
He looked at the display case “I’ve seen a few of them around the place.”  
  
”It’s a Stormy Petrel,” said Crysta.  
  
”Indeed?” Merlyn asked.  
  
Crysta nodded and started to name all the other birds in the cases, with evident skill and knowledge, “Chiantha loved birds” Chiantha had been her guardian’s name.  
  
”Chiantha?”  
  
”That was her name, she was Gorta-Trellian, she was a general Naturalist, but she loved birds, she had pictures of them all over the place, I don’t know how old I was when I was first placed with her, a baby I think, but my earliest memories of her were all the

birds she had, she had this gorgeous aviary filled with all these birds, I used to play in there because they were all so tame, they would sit on your shoulders and eat out of your hands and let you touch and pet them,” Crysta said.  
  
”What happened to her?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”We lived on Crasolia during the war there and were captured and put into a prison camp, Chiantha got sick and died, I ran away and ended up on EITS. I was there for about 3 years, one of those ‘ _lost kids_ ’ as they called us making my living by finding things.

As a guide, Salmarian came to EITS on business and found me and offered me a place in his ship and work, I took it, I mean what else was there for me? And we travelled together for years until we got caught in that weird dimension thing”.  
  
”Where we found you” Merlyn concluded.  
  
”Yes,” she said.  
  
”I am glad we did,” said Merlyn.  
  
”I am too,” she said, “I am just sorry about Chiantha though”.  
  
Merlyn said “sometimes the best people can be lost” he smiled at her “let’s go look at some dinosaurs, huh? I always loved looking at the dinosaurs”.  
  
She said, “Ok, where’s Rast”.  
  
”Probably **_already_** in there, he likes dinosaurs as well, when we were kids we tried to turn into dinosaurs and never could do it, but unfortunately our friends could! Used to drive Rast and me nuts, why do you think some of the ‘X-Men’[1] like to make fun of 

us”?  
”Why have we never been able to do that, though?” Crysta asked.  
  
”I think it’s our Gallifreyan side, it’s crippled our ability to Shapechange somewhat, Timelords are generally human, so it doesn’t like us taking any other form other than humanoid or near human which is why we could remain Gorta-Trellian without a 

problem, guess we had to lose something to gain something, and unfortunately that was it”.  
  
Crysta said, “I guess, but you know I’ve never actually noticed its loss guess it was because I wasn’t bought up amongst the Dorenganza, while you and Tilan were”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “yeah”.

 **T** hey walked into the Dinosaur section; sure enough, Rastalin was already in there looking at a diorama, above them hung the skeleton of a giant prehistoric bird with a massive wingspan.  
  
”Wow!” said Crysta looking up.  
  
Rastalin said “impressive, isn’t it? Oughta see the Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton”.  
  
Crysta said, “do you think Tina will ever take us back to the age of the dinosaurs on Earth so we can see these creatures for _**ourselves**_?”  
  
Merlyn said, “I guess we could ask her”.  
  
Rastalin said, “Crysta we **_have_** a time machine we can go anywhere we want to, seeing the Dinosaurs would be cool I reckon”.  
  
Merlyn said, “it is Tina’s time machine remember?”  
  
Rastalin said “wonder if we’ll ever get one of our own? Having our own _**Tardis**_ would be so cool, I reckon! The stuff we could see and do!”  
  
Merlyn said, “ Rastalin even if we could get our own I don’t think any of us are ready for that type of power and responsibility at the moment, we all barely know what we are capable of doing at the moment!”  
  
Crysta said, “I am definitely, not, at the moment, this whole thing still I don’t know freaks me out a little”.  
  
”I think we all feel that way Crys,” said Merlyn “I mean _**crikey**_ our **dads** a 6 or 7 hundred-year-old _**Timelord**_! Not every kid gets that!”  
  
Rastalin said, “you are probably right, Quin”.  
  
”I am right,” said Quin.  
  
”Come have a look at the Tyrannosaurus Rex,” said Rastalin “it’s imposing”.  
  
They followed him to where the skeleton was; it towered over them and was huge.  
  
”Wow look at those teeth!” Crysta said.  
  
Merlyn looked at the tablet and said: “it says here it was found in the islands”.  
  
”Gee,” said Rastalin “it’s complete as well”.  
  
”One of the few left in the world apparently,” Merlyn remarked.  
  
”I would like to see one of these alive one days,” said Rastalin “Crasolian Dinosaurs aren’t nothing like this! Their _**smaller**_!”  
  
Merlyn said, “I wouldn’t want to get to close though”.  
  
”Remember those games we used to play as children,” Rast said, “the other kids always used to make fun of us because we played with model dinosaurs because we couldn’t take Dino form, they’d all take the form of dinosaurs and that although none of us

ever did a T-Rex, we weren’t _allowed_ to”.  
  
Merlyn sighed “yes, I remember “.  
  
Rastalin said, “you know in a way Crysta you were lucky you never grew up amongst the Dorenganza”.  
  
Crysta said, “I guess I was”.  
  
”Merlyn and I were always **_different_** , we couldn’t shapeshift as well couldn’t even take Dorenganza raw unshaped form, that of a silver flame, it seems our Dorenganza blood is overruled by the Gallifreyan in some ways,” Rast said, “ Tina’s right, though, we  
  
are more Gallifreyan than we are Dorenganzan”.  
  
Merlyn added, “and Lunn-Lunn says it’s even possible if we regenerate we’ll even lose what Dorenganza shapeshifting ability we have”.  
  
Rastalin said, “I know, guess I wouldn’t miss it so much then though”.  
  
Merlyn said, “we’ll figure something out”.  
  
Rastalin said, “guess it wouldn’t matter then though”.  
  
They walked around the exhibit of the dinosaurs looking at the dinosaurs as they did.  
  
They found the exhibit that showed all the dinosaurs found in the islands.   
  
Basically, they were replicas of them, Merlyn read all the tablets in a matter of minutes, amazed at his ability to do so.  
  
Rastalin said, “they found a few here which brings the legend of the unseen island a bit more to focus, huh”.  
  
Merlyn said “yeah”.  
  
Crysta was looking at the dinosaurs “most of them were fairly small actually”.  
  
Merlyn said ‘ ** _HMM_** yeah”.  
  
Crysta said, “you know I wonder if there really is a hidden island”.  
  
Merlyn shrugged “perhaps”.  
  
He moved onto the sea dinosaurs that were found in the islands looked in awe at the model replicas “wow look at the size of some of the sea creatures?”  
  
Rastalin said, “ interesting, aren’t they, you know we really must get Tina to take us to the age of the dinosaurs one day, get to see all these creatures for _real_!”  
  
Merlyn nodded “I guess; it’d be interesting, wouldn’t it?”  
  
”Yes!” Rastalin said.  
  
Merlyn said, “we’ll have to ask her”.  
  
”Ask me what?” Tina asked as she walked in.  
  
They all turned to her and Merlyn said: “take us to see the dinosaurs one day”.  
  
Tina said “that would be an interesting trip, wouldn’t it? Let me think about that one”.  
  
”Oh, can we?” Crysta urged.  
  
Tina chuckled “maybe” she smiled and said, “there is so much more to see though”.  
  
”I guess,” said Merlyn.  
  
Tina said, “we can see a lot with time, I’ll put **_dinosaurs_** on our list of places to visit”.  
  
”Really!” Rastalin said.  
  
”Yes, really”.  
  
”Oh, thank you, Tina!” he said.  
  
Tina said, “the number of dinosaurs they found in the islands was pretty awesome, wasn’t it, I like dinosaurs as well!”  
  
”Yes,” they all said.  
  
Tina said, “Xavier was wondering where the three of you had gotten too, I told him that you were probably looking at the dinosaurs!”.  
  
Merlyn said, “poor Dad I think he sometimes feels that he’s the third wheel around here”.  
  
Tina said, “I guess he does, seeing me and Sal both know you three better than he does”.  
  
Merlyn said, “it’s kind of sad really isn’t it?”  
  
”I guess it is,” she said.  
  
”Which makes it all the more critical that we try to make it up to him”.  
  
Tina nodded and said ‘Yes, it does”.  
  
Merlyn said, “We shall try to make it work”.  
  
Tina nodded and said, “it’s Ok you’re all doing a fine job at the moment”.  
  
”We try,” said Merlyn “ come on let’s have a bit more of a look around I don’t think we’re going to find any real clues here, but we might as well enjoy the day though”.  
  
”Yes,” said Tina.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Not the real X-Men, the ‘X-men’ are a group of young Dorenganza the same age as Merlyn, Rastalin and Crysta who model themselves after the comic book heroes.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Car Chase- James Bond Style!

**T** hey left the museum late in the afternoon and started to head back to their hotel, Xavier bundled the kids into Magius’s car and started it up.  
  
”Man, this is a beautiful car,” said Rastalin “Dad, can I drive please?”  
  
”No,” said Xavier “just be grateful for the fact that I let you sit in the passenger seat! You are way too infatuated by the fact that this is John Foxx’s car Tilanthalas!”  
  
”I never get to have any fun!” Tilan grumbled to himself, although he had to admit his dad probably did have a point.  
  
”Don’t touch anything!” Xavier warned.  
  
”Bet if I were Quin you’d let me drive,” Tilan said.  
  
”I’m a bit worried about letting _either_ of you drive,” said Xavier.  
  
”Darn!” Tilan said.  
  
Quinawah shrugged “we’re probably both a little too excitable,” he said.  
  
”Your 18! Of course, you’re excitable” Xavier said “most young men your age all want a nice classy looking, high-performance car that looks cool, so that is why I am not going to let either of you drive Magius’s car” he smiled at them both then and added,  
  
“when I was a youngster myself I wanted a classy looking ship as well”.  
  
”Oh,” said Tilan “I love cars, though, why do you think I’m doing up that old Volkswagen?”  
  
Quin said, “Starfighters and Runabouts are more my things, it's Tilan whose into cars”.  
  
Xavier nodded “from what I heard I can tell, heard you're quite the pilot Quinawah”.  
  
Tilanthalas nodded “Merlyn’s a far better pilot than I ever will be, Master Casamir always lets Merlyn fly his runabout, I’m not too bad myself, but Merlyn seems to have a natural knack for it that I lack”.  
  
Quinawah nodded “I’m trying to save up to buy my own runabout actually and maybe my own ship one day”.  
  
Tilan nodded “yeah, we both have starfighters, but neither of us is on a squad yet though”.  
  
”And you can both fly a Starfighter?” Xavier asked.  
  
”Yeah,” said Tilan “but Merlyn’s far better at it than I”.  
  
Quin nodded “I love to fly”.  
  
Tilan nodded and continued his twins thought a tendency Xavier had noticed that they did and often and probably without realising they did it “Quin is a natural pilot, I had to be taught, I may be the more martial minded one out of us, but it’s Quin whose the  
  
pilot, Casamir saw this and has made sure we both complement each other, which is why he’s a Consular, and I’m a Guardian, Quins the Diplomat I’m the Fighter”.  
  
”The Mage and the Fighter,” said Xavier with a nod.  
  
”Basically yeah,” said Tilanthalas “although Quin is no weakling and can fight almost as well as I can, I’m a bit showier though, Quin’s a good all-rounder, but _I’m_ the Specialist!”  
  
Xavier nodded “I have seen you both in action, you are both very good, the way both of you move is extraordinary, I would be willing to have either of you covering my back”.  
  
Quin said, “everyone says that”.  
  
Xavier continued “your both good, what of you Crysta?”  
  
Crysta said, “uh I can fight a little, I’m probably more like Buffy or Angel though than Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi”.  
  
”Down and dirty, huh?” he asked.  
  
”Yes”.  
  
”Don’t worry so am I, although I am not half bad with a sword” he said, smiling at his daughter as he caught sight of her in the rear vision mirror.  
  
”Salmarian taught me to fight,” she said.  
  
”He’s not bad either,” said Xavier “nor is Tina, although she tends to rely on guns more than anything, that or talking her way out of things”.  
  
”I try and talk my way out of things first,” Merlyn said.  
  
”So do I,” say Tilan.  
  
”I think we all do Tilan,” said Xavier, frowning as it started to rain, so he put the roof up, and turned the CD player back on, changing it to **_Icehouse.  
_** _  
_”Icehouse is Australian,” Merlyn said, “I thought you would be more into British music”.  
  
Xavier chuckled and said, “look I may tease Sal and Tina about been Australian, but as to my music and the Bands I like; I will listen to anything as long as it sounds good and I like Icehouse”.  
  
”Oh,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Yes I am more inclined towards anything English, but, the point is, if it sounds good, I will listen to it regardless of where it comes from, I’m also a huge fan of Jazz” he continued “ I also like Classical, but, it’s not a good idea if you’re trying to drive!”  
  
”I bet you’re a massive fan of the Beatles,” said Tilan.  
  
”Who isn’t?” Xavier asked then, “Yes I admit to been a fan of the Beatles, I have all their albums”.  
  
”Figures!” Tilan groaned.  
  
Xavier chuckled and said, “I take it you’re not?”  
  
”Merlyn is,” said Tilan.  
  
Xavier laughed “Arh, so we do have something in common than Quin!”  
  
Quin shrugged and looked sheepish “well Tilan likes Kiss”.  
  
”Somehow that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” Xavier said dryly.  
  
They continued driving along; listening to _Icehouse_ as the rain started to pour down, Xavier put the headlights on.  
  
”Looks like we’re in for a storm,” Tilan said.  
  
”It’s the tropics, get used to it,” said Xavier “it always rains in the tropics”.  
  
Crysta said, “maybe we should stop dad before it gets too hard to drive in”.  
  
Xavier said, “it’s Ok Crysta, we’ll be fine, and I’ve driven under harder conditions than this”.  
  
”Ok,” said Crysta.  
  
Quinawah had found the onboard fridge and was looking through it, seeing if John Foxx really did like Martini’s he found mainly beer and yes the ingredients for a Martini.  
  
”Quin,” said Xavier when he realised what his son was doing.  
  
”There is some Orange juice in here as well,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Any beer?” Tilan asked.  
  
”Uh huh Heineken and Guinness” Merlyn replied, “there’s also some Tiger”.  
  
”Anything else?”  
  
”Vodka, ingredients for a Martini, milk probably for tea, and a bottle of Champagne, there’s also a red in here that’s about 10 years old”.  
  
Xavier sighed and said, “will you boys leave poor old Magius’s fridge alone?”  
  
”Can we have a beer dad?” Tilan asked.  
  
”Oh ok, as long as you promise to replace it, If it stops you from raiding his fridge”.  
  
”Pass me a Tiger Quin,” said Tilan.  
  
Quin did so and closed the fridge, Tilan opened his beer and said: “say want one, Dad?”  
  
”Not while I am driving Tilan,” said Xavier.  
  
”Wouldn’t affect you anyway?” said Tilan “that is one thing I’ve found out for myself; we can’t get drunk unless we want to”.  
  
Xavier said, “it’s still Earth Tilan, you can still get booked for drinking and driving even in the 30th century”.  
  
”Oh,” said Tilanthalas drinking his beer.  
  
Xavier stopped at a light, as the rain started to pelt down and it started to thunder he ordered the car’s AI to go into bad weather mode, just as a bolt of lightning lit up the horizon.  
  
”Gee, that is some storm,” said Crysta.  
  
”It’s Ok,” said Xavier “it’s only a 40-minute drive to where we are”.  
  
Xavier said, “just as well skimmers replaced cars many centuries ago, or else we really would have been in a bit of a pickle” he looked out of the window at the lighted guideways by the side of the road and started the car up again.  
  
They drove along as the rain started to pelt down hitting the skimmer hard, it had gotten really dark now, and that even Xavier was having trouble seeing the road ahead of them.  
  
Tilan said, “Dad let me help you out”.  
  
”How?” Xavier asked.  
  
Tilan said, “use the Way, let it guide you?”  
  
Xavier said, “Tilan I don’t have your training in the Way.”  
  
” Let me be your eyes then.”  
  
”Pardon?”  
  
”Watch,” said Tilan, he closed his eyes and opened himself to the Way and let it flow over him “ _contact_ ,” he said.  
  
”Tilan how are you going to guide me with your eyes closed?”  
  
Tilan said “Ssh! Trust me I am Jadai, Ok keep going ahead, the road is pretty clear ahead of us right now. But, watch the corner when you get to it, as there’s been an accident between two skimmers”.  
  
Xavier said, “you can see all that with your eyes closed?”  
  
Tilan opened his eyes they had gone silver as both he and his brothers often did when they were both open to the Force, Xavier also noticed that Tilan’s hair had gone from red to red flowing flame.  
  
”I can feel it,” said Tilan as his small curly silver antennae became visible “Dad someone is following us as well”.  
  
Xavier said “what?”  
  
”It’s a black car,” Quinawah said.  
  
Before Xavier’s eyes, Merlyn’s, Crysta’s and Rastalin’s blue-silver flame aura flared up, Quin’s eyes had also gone silvery, and both his and Crysta’s hair had gone to it natural flame-like state. However, like Tilan’s, Quin’s was red, and Crysta’s was silver.  
  
It was a time like this Xavier was reminded that his three children weren’t just _Gallifreyan_ , they were _also_ Dorenganzan, and after his years of travelling with Aeryn, he should recognise the signs of danger!  
  
”We’re in danger, aren’t we?” he asked suddenly.  
  
”They’re after us,” Quinawah said “Dad step on it! Rast and I will guide you!”  
  
Xavier nodded “fair enough. Whenever Aeryn started to glow, I usually took notice of her. As I know this is your races way of warning of danger, times like this reminds me that you three aren’t _just_ Gallifreyan”.  
  
He frowned annoyed at his own inability to recognise the danger signs, he was a _Timelord_! , it was an inbuilt feature of his own race to sense danger as well, it had been one of the reasons why he and Aeryn had gotten out of so many scrapes because of   
  
their inbuilt warning systems.  
  
Maybe it was because he had been concentrating too hard on the problem at hand and not taking a look at the bigger picture.  
  
”Hang on,” he said “time for some defensive driving!”   
  
Quinawah said “watch out for the roadblock ahead! There’s been a collision between two skimmers, and there is debris all over the place!”  
  
”I see it!” said Xavier pulling up almost too late and doing a sharp turn at the holographic ‘ **DETOUR** ’ sign that had been set up at the scene, relying purely on Timelord reflexes to carry him through.  
  
The skimmer wavered and squealed as it’s abused thrusters were suddenly roughly changed, as Xavier changed direction, the skimmer reacted, it’s custom made brakes and antigrav plate smoothing the turn as Xavier instead of going along the guidelines

suddenly took off in the opposite direction and started heading cross country hoping to shake their pursuers.  
  
But it wasn’t enough as Quinawah said “they’re following us! Our detour didn’t deter them; it’s like they _knew_ what we were going to do”.  
  
”I sure hope Magius’s Skimmer is made for going cross country!” said Xavier as some skimmers couldn’t handle going cross country for long periods.  
  
”Of course, it will be!” Rast said.  
  
”Hang on!” said Xavier.  
  
They kept going both boys occasionally telling Xavier where to go and what to avoid, he narrowly missed a signpost as he couldn’t see it in the driving rain.  
  
”They’re still on our tail!” Merlyn said.  
  
Crysta said “Dad?”  
  
”Cool a real live John Foxx car chase!” said Rastalin.  
  
Xavier said “at least someone is **_enjoying_** themselves!” as he narrowly avoided a barn and then went through another one as it happened so quick he didn’t see it, he was stuck there for a moment trying to avoid stampeding cattle.  
  
”Their outside waiting for us!” said Rastalin.  
  
They flew out of the barn and saw their pursuers briefly lit up by a lightning flash, Xavier noticed there was a bit of fire underneath them, but, it didn’t seem to slow them down as suddenly their skimmer shook violently.  
  
”What the!” Crysta asked.

“The Bastards are shooting at us!” Xavier said, “their got guns on their car, but it seems like Magius’s car has bullet-proof panelling.”  
  
”Probably has a shield as well,” said Rastalin, looking over the dashboard and said “Aha! Just like in the movies!” he pushed a button.  
  
”Tilan what did you do?” Xavier asked as the outside of the car shimmered.  
  
”Put our shielding up” Rastalin replied, “we probably have a gun as well, let me see”.  
  
”Rast,” said Xavier as the pursuers hit the skimmer from behind with their own, luckily the cars shielding protected them from the impact reasonably well.  
  
Xavier started to drive again, plunging into a group of trees, wincing as they went through them hoping the shielding would stop it from getting too scratched.  
  
”We need more speed!” said Rastalin.  
  
”I’m going as fast as I can!” Xavier said.  
  
”They’re going faster!’ said Rastalin “notice the flames under them? That is what making them goes faster! We probably have something similar to this car.” He looked over the dashboard and found the speed booster and said: “Here goes!”  
  
He pushed the button the car shuddered, and Xavier felt them lift up higher, and then they speed up significantly.  
  
Rastalin said “Ok here’s the plan, Merlyn back me on this one! I’ve found our gun, and they can’t target properly, not in this rain, that’s why they're missing us all the time, but they _aren’t_ Jedai, we **are**! Connect with me and use your expertise to guide my  
  
targeting”.  
  
Merlyn said, “how about we switch and I’ll fire, you know when it comes to piloting and shooting while doing so I am better than you are”.  
  
Rast said, “we haven’t got time!”.  
  
”OK then’ said Merlyn “here goes” he closed his eyes and connected with his twin, so they became of one mind.  
  
Xavier said “ _do something_! We’re going to run out of boost soon!” he felt both his hearts beating in unison.  
  
”Ok,” said Merlyn “ they’re about 4 metres behind us and gaining fast” he raised a hand, and something bounced harmlessly off the shields they all heard several things bounce harmlessly off the car as both twins raised one of their hands in unison using the  
  
force to deflect the bullets.  
  
Rast felt the gun of their pursuers fire again, and Merlyn said “45 degrees to your right Tilanthalas, that’s right,” as they all heard an explosion.  
  
”I think we got one of their thrusters!” said Rastalin.  
  
”Ok, try to shoot out the other one,” said Merlyn “ that should slow them down, possibly even stop them as we’re about to lose our shields”.  
  
”OK,” said Rast “it’s a little harder to target though, these guys are professionals,” as suddenly their back windshield broke.  
  
Crysta screamed and ducked, Merlyn turned and held up a hand and shot the glass outward and stopped the bullets dead in their tracks.  
  
”Stay down!” Merlyn said to his sister, using the Force to send the bullets back with such force and winced when he felt their windscreen crack.  
  
Two of the bullets lodged deep into the brain of the co-driver of the pursuing vehicle, Rast fired more rounds.  
  
”Wow!” said Rastalin “I didn’t realise you had gotten so accurate!”  
  
Merlyn said, “uh yeah, Look shoot their thrusters out from under them!”  
  
Xavier said, “what next boys?”  
  
Crysta said, “Do _something_!”  
  
”We’re vulnerable now!” Xavier said ‘we have no shields, our thrusters are damaged, and we’re losing power, do something quick!”  
  
Merlyn nodded and said, “ Rast forget their thrusters shoot at their car let’s see if we can destroy it, Dad, Crysta, be prepared to jump, Rast aim at their engine, **_no mercy_** just give it everything you're got!”  
  
”Right on!” said Rast “I can definitely do that!”  
  
Merlyn nodded interfaced with the car's computer and gave new orders just as Rastalin fired at the engine of the pursuit vehicle, he got it, and it caught on fire.  
  
” **Jump**!” Merlyn ordered kicking open their damaged door and then using the Force he jumped out of their car, Rast dropped the gun and did the same, Xavier following his son's example looked out, judging the distance, figured he would survive and  
  
jumped, Crysta also jumped unfurling her wings and flew down.  
  
Once down Rast and Merlyn using their power over the Force turned their damaged and burning skimmer around and sent it straight at the as badly damaged pursuit vehicle.  
  
”That is going to cause one hell of a fireball,” Xavier remarked, getting up and brushing down his frock coat, and gingerly touching the cut on his forehead “Get **down** everyone!”  
  
They all dove to the ground and the whole place shook as the two skimmers connected and exploded into a fireball.  
  
When all was clear, and all that remained was the two burning shells of the downed skimmers, they all got to their feet.  
  
”Dad, you Ok?” Crysta asked.  
  
”Fine,” said Xavier “ ** _Timelord_** remember? We can walk through and walk out of just about everything! When it comes to resilience we’re about as good as your race, as you no doubt know travelling with Salmarian all that time!” he indicated his head “ it’s  
  
healing already” he looked around ‘ anyone have any clue where we are?”  
  
Merlyn and Rastalin said as one “Nope do you?”  
  
”I wouldn’t have asked if I knew,” Xavier said he looked at the burnt-out shell of the skimmer “Magius is going to kill me!”  
  
Crysta said, “we’re sorry”.  
  
Xavier sighed “comes with the territory I think, they must have thought I was Magius”.  
  
”Because you were driving his car?” Rastalin asked.  
  
”Probably, Basilisk obviously knows that Magius is here, or else they wouldn’t have been chasing us”.  
  
”Makes sense,” said Rastalin frowning as he looked around, they were all sopping wet by now as it was still storming, lightning lit up cliffs nearby, and they could all see now that they had narrowly missed going over the edge down into the ocean, down  
  
below the sea was roaring and bashing the rocks.  
  
”Where are we?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Somewhere on the Island but clearly in one of the less populated areas,” Xavier said saying a soft word and a light lit up surrounding them in a circle of soft white light as all three kids had stopped glowing by now.  
  
”I keep forgetting you’re a Mage,” said Rastalin.  
  
”I am. But I developed my magical sensitivity to the nodes _**after**_ I got stranded here almost a century ago; Timelords it seems to have a natural gift for the nodes.” He replied, “if the Doctor stayed here long enough, he would too”.  
  
”Which is probably _why_ we’re all sensitive to them as well,” said Rastalin.  
  
”You three were born here, this is your universe, you have the gift, you got it from Aeryn, she was Order of the Five and quite a powerful one. She was also one of the strongest Jedaini around at the time, you three are all strong in the Way, even I can see  
  
that! I don’t fully understand it nor have the gifts but travelling with Aeryn for so long I learnt to recognise it. That display in the car was an _extraordinary_ display of control over the Way; you two are clearly Jedaini through and through, and so are you Crysta  
  
but you clearly need some proper training in it” he said.  
  
”I’m sorry I freaked,” Crysta said.  
  
”It’s Ok honey,” he said hugging her, then put an arm around the twins, “you saved all of our lives, Quinawah, Tilanthalas you two are truly Knights of the Path”.  
  
”We know that,” said Rastalin “Dad, it is who we are”.  
  
”I know that,” he said “but by _**Rassillon**_! You two are definitely powerful! You three are our hope for the future, the hope for the Gallifreyan race; by the time you three are fully aware of your heritage what Timelords you will make”.  
  
Crysta said, “that’s the scary bit”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I know Crystal, I know”.  
  
Crystal said, “that still kinds of freaks me out”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I am aware of that, don’t you think it freaks me out as well?”  
  
” _ **You!!**_ ” Merlyn asked astounded.  
  
”Yes, **me**! And not only me, Tina, Sal and Magius as well! And probably the Doc as well, it is almost a blessing that Gallifrey as we knew it, no longer exists, because you would have also freaked out the Timelords! All of us, why do you think I never told them  
  
about you three? Mixing our blood with some other race isn’t forbidden, nor is it taboo, but it is rare and isn’t always guaranteed. My union with Aeryn was not banned, but it was definitely discouraged. There are _rules_ you see, and she and I broke them, so   
  
did the Doc’s parents, it has happened before in the past. Aeryn and I didn’t care though, we were in love, and nothing was going to come between us. But you three, there has never been you’re like before in the entire Gallifreyan history. The Dorenganza  
  
are the only race that matches the Timelords, which is why I fell in love with your mother and why you three even _exist_. Aeryn wasn’t just my companion she was my Equal”.  
  
”Gosh,” said Crysta wanting to know more about the mother they had never known, the mother that had won a high ranking Timelords heart.  
  
Xavier smiled at his kids “ come on let’s get out of this rain before we all come down with colds, I think hot chocolate and doughnuts are in order, don’t you? Once we find the road again, we’ll hitch a ride back into town, and I’ll treat you all to something hot,  
  
I think we all need it”.  
  
”Sounds good,” said Merlyn “but where is the road?”  
  
”Somewhere back there I think,” said Xavier waving behind them.  
  
”Ok,” said Rastalin.

 **S** uddenly they all heard weapons been raised behind them, and as they all turned, they saw that they were surrounded, the storm had blocked out all sense of them been snuck upon.  
  
”You _**aren’t**_ going _**anywhere**_ ,” a voice said, and a tall man clad all in black held a gun aimed at Xavier’s chest “come quietly or you will die, this gun is aimed at _**both**_ your **hearts _Timelord_** ”.


	18. July 19th- 2947- Muir Islands-Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Basilisk.  
> Also, Xavier and the Kids find themselves prisoners on Halau

**_Halau_ **

**T** he Man known as Basilisk looked up from where he was looking at his finances to see how they were going, they were going well he decided very soon he would work towards furthering his plans for world domination.  
  
Then he would take revenge on all of his enemies including his homeworld which had exiled him to this godforsaken planet so long ago, but he wasn’t ready yet.  
  
He frowned at the interruption and called out impatiently “who is it!”  
  
”It is Crathen sir I am here to report that we captured Magius” the voice called.  
  
Arh yes, the Dark Adept, well one of them at least he had two on his staff; they had proven useful over the years, these Dark Adepts with their mystical powers and fighting skills.  
  
Crathen was his right-hand man and a friend, he trusted him as well as he could trust anyone, trust was a hard thing to come by, but he and Crathen had been through a lot together.  
  
“Come in” he called, like many of his people his accent sounded English, upper-crust London actually it had come with the package.  
  
Crathen opened the door, he was a Half Elf male, tall and handsome with golden hair and green eyes clad in black robes with the hood up which he removed, at his side, he wore his lightsword the mark of the Order as well, the same weapon that all those of

the Order wore.  
  
Basilisk had tried to understand both sides of the Adept Order over the years he had been here, and had found that both sides shared a common root in their theories and training it’s just that some tended to concentrate on the light side of the Way the

other the dark side.   
  
Both managed to drift one way or the other, it was hard to decipher who was more powerful.  
  
”I’m sorry to disturb you Basilisk, but, I just thought I should let you know that we successfully captured Magius,” Crathen said.  
  
”Thank you,” he said, “lock him up but treat him with respect. I don’t want him harmed”.  
  
”Uh sir, there was a bit of a **_complication_** ,” said Crathen.  
  
” _Complication_?”  
  
”He wasn’t **_alone_** sir”.  
  
Basilisk asked “how is that ** _possible_**? We have his companion, well one of them at least and the other is dead. Intelligence wouldn’t have sent him any more help once they found out that his mission had been compromised, who was he with?”  
  
”Three teenagers sir” he replied, “locals perhaps”.  
  
” ** _Three teenagers_**?” he asked.

“Twin boys and a girl” he replied.  
  
”We'll find out **who** they are then!”  
  
Crathen said, “well actually, we are very ** _interested_** in finding out who they are.”  
  
”Pardon?”  
  
”The boy’s sir”.  
  
”The boys, what about them?”  
  
Crathen cleared his throat and said, “the fact that they were with Magius is interesting, fascinating indeed, it is also a little worrying that they were with him”.  
  
”Go on stop beating around the bush man what is so worrying about the three teenagers found with Magius”.  
  
”Two of them are Adept Knights sir” he replied “the two boys”.  
  
”What!” he asked, “you’re **sure**?”  
  
”Of course I am sure sir, don’t you think I would **_recognise_ **two Adepts when I see them?”  
  
”I suppose you would” he amended.  
  
”They are probably aware of Shania and me as well,” he said Shania was the other Dark Adept, she was Crathen’s apprentice.  
  
”Ok very well then, question them if you will but don’t _harm_ Magius! I need his expertise if my plan is to work!”  
  
”Yes, Sir,” he said.  
  
”Kill them if you want” Basilisk added.  
  
Crathen shook his head “I would rather avoid that if it is possible, they are young, probably newly ordained, it would be more beneficial to us all if we can bring them over, they are both strong in the Way and so is the girl, she is but a mere Apprentice,

perhaps we can gain them as allies”.  
  
Basilisk nodded “I see your point”.  
  
Crathen nodded “I shall try my best sir”.  
  
Basilisk said, “where are the prisoners?”  
  
”We put them in the oubliette room for the moment there is nowhere they can go from there” he replied.  
  
”Have them moved below.” he said, “I will come down later and question them”.  
  
”Yes sir,” he said, leaving the room.  
  
When he was gone Basilisk said to him “so we **_meet_ **again do we Magius, you will pay for exiling me!”

Meanwhile, Xavier and the three children were recovering from been drugged and kidnapped and were all wondering where they were.  
  
”How did we not **_sense_** that they were there?” Rastalin asked Merlyn as his brother sat there rubbing the bump on his head.  
  
”I think I have a concussion,” said Merlyn frowning at the dried red-orange blood on his hand.  
  
”They hit us pretty hard,” said Rastalin, “I think I do too”.  
  
Crysta was standing over their father who was still unconscious and said: “Xavier’s not awake yet”.  
  
”Whatever they shot him with was meant to knock out a Timelord well, and good” Rastalin said, “that is what’s worrying how _**did**_ Basilisk know that Magius was a **_Timelord_**?”  
  
Merlyn checked their father “he’s ok, he’s pulse is steady and both his hearts are beating he’s just unconscious”.  
  
”Good thing they didn’t know we were Timelords,” said Crysta “they just dosed us with chloroform and then hit us all over the head! Or else we’d be unconscious as well”.  
  
“We’re only _half_ Timelord,” said Quinawah” we probably don’t show up as one, but, they also didn’t know we were Dorenganza as well it seems!”  
  
”Respiratory Bypass always works,” said Rastalin “but whatever they got Dad with would affect us as well”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “clearly they know Magius is Gallifreyan, but they didn’t expect to find us, and clearly they think Xavier is Magius and they want him alive or else they would have just killed him. That is a plus in our favour, we should try and keep quiet as long

as we can about been Gallifreyan ourselves, they don’t know that we are, they think we’re human or at least Dorenganza or Half Elf”.  
  
”I wonder what they got him with,” said Rastalin, reaching into his bag and pulling out a portable mediscan, it was standard equipment for Jedai on the move.  
  
”Always prepared, aren’t you?” Crysta asked with a smile, she had to admit her two brothers never ceased to amaze her.  
  
”Standard issue,” Merlyn said.  
  
”Got any food?” she asked.  
  
Merlyn chuckled and threw her a nutribar and unwrapped one himself.  
  
”Thanks,” she said.  
  
Rastalin was bending over Xavier and using the mediscan he took a sample of Xavier’s blood and ran it through the scan.  
  
”Hmm **_interesting_ ,**” he said “it’s a kind of enzyme that affects the respiratory bypass system of a Gallifreyan, probably developed by the Timelords themselves or one of their enemies. Basically it just knocks you unconscious seeing it works so quickly you  
  
don’t have time to counteract it, it seizes it up temporarily, according to this Xavier will recover very soon, it doesn’t leave any side effects or even harms you it just immobilizes you. But it would only work on a Gallifreyan”.  
  
”Or someone like us,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Yep,” said Rastalin “we’re Gallifreyan enough for it to work on us as well”.  
  
”Just as well they didn’t know we were half Gallifreyan then,” said Crysta, “I think I agree with Merlyn that is a fact we should keep to ourselves as long as we can”.  
  
Xavier moaned, and his eyelids moved and then coughing he sat up rubbing his head “Ow what hit me?”  
  
”Dad!” said Crysta “you’re alright!”  
  
”I have a concussion,” said Xavier, getting slowly to his feet, “where are we?”  
  
”Halau I think, in the fortress,” said Rastalin.  
  
”Basilisk,” said Xavier, “I feel woozy what happened?”  
  
”You were hit with an enzyme that has been made explicitly for Gallifreyans, Basilisk knows you’re a Timelord, well at least he knows Magius is, seeing it is probably who he thinks **you** are,” Rastalin said.  
  
”I was?” he asked.  
  
”Yep got the evidence right here,” said Rastalin.  
  
Xavier looked astounded “I heard the rumours that an enzyme compound was being found that would affect Timelords alone, in the last years of the war but I never suspected that it actually existed”.  
  
Rastalin nodded “It does, a higher dosage might have killed you”.  
  
”Or at least **_forced_** me to regenerate,” Xavier said, “you wouldn’t believe what we were doing to our own people during the last years of the war”.  
  
”What were you doing?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”We were losing the war as you know, we’d gotten desperate, they were force regenerating some of us to make better soldiers, and that is a definite No-No as it can be dangerous, some of the more sadistic of us used that as a torture method, we were doing

stuff we probably shouldn’t have been doing, mucking around with stuff that probably shouldn’t have been mucking about with. Making compounds like that enzyme”, he coughed “that alone is worrying enough, but, we were developing poisons and that   
  
like that as well. Magius and I were deadset against that, we both protested rather adamantly about it. There was a brilliant geneticist much like the Rani whom Magius and I both exiled because he was performing deadly tests on our people, tests that were

to be put bluntly shouldn’t have been allowed to happen, many probably disagreed with our actions as I said some of the stuff we were doing to our own people….” He shuddered “it was a dark time for Gallifrey, but Magius and I were both high ranking, and  
  
I was President-General at the time, and so we exiled him.”  
  
”Gosh!” said Crysta.  
  
”He was performing experiments on children no older than you three! And those even younger! For goodness, sakes! I couldn’t allow that to continue and Magius agreed totally with me, we were also both _**CIA**_ at the time as well, so we had the authority to do   
  
so as well”.  
  
” _ **CIA**_? Central Intelligence?” Rast asked.  
  
”No Celestial Intervention Agency Rast, the Celestine remember? The Doctor often ran into trouble with them".  
  
"you were with the Celestines?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”Well yes and rather high ranked at that!” Xavier said “why do you think Magius is a Secret Agent and a damn good one! It was something we both joined when we both finished at the academy!” he shrugged “we were both Prydonian! Like all the best rogues!  
  
And like I said I’m an ex-president! Magius was always the soldier, me the diplomat much like you and your brother are”.  
  
”Oh,” he said, “about this, geneticist?”  
  
Xavier nodded and took a sip of Merlyn’s water, he was still feeling the effects of been knocked unconscious, his throat was bit dry, and he continued “ Talavar was his name, he was the same age as me and Magius but of a different college, can’t remember  
  
its name at the moment, he was **_brilliant_** , much like the Rani, but also like her he was also somewhat mad, he believed that to make better soldiers of us would take more than forced regeneration and that children should be prepped for war as soon as they  
  
were able. Ok, some of that makes sense we were losing the war at this stage, and we were desperate, but the methods he used were to put simply barbaric which is why Magius and I exiled him”.  
  
Crysta said “Oh”.  
  
Merlyn said, “do you think that this Talavar is Basilisk?”  
  
Xavier said, “I am hoping no because if it is, we’re in a whole lot more danger than we thought”.  
  
Merlyn said, “just what this universe _needs_ , our own version of the _**Master**_!”  
  
”Yep, that’s about right Merlyn,” he said.  
  
Rastalin sighed “figures! Not only do we have the Dark Adepts to worry about, but we may also have a mad rogue Timelord to contend with”.  
  
”Where’s the Doctor when you need him?” Crysta said as Merlyn tended to the bump on her head.  
  
Xavier said “this has _nothing_ to do with him, no this is Magius’s and I fight, he doesn’t even know Talavar! We’re from a different era remember?”  
  
”A history he changed,” said Merlyn “or so he claimed”.  
  
Xavier said, “whether he changed it successfully or not we were still there and we still remember, and to us, it still happened, that’s the problem with been a Timelord, kids, we’re unaffected by time we walk outside it, it is something you lot are going to have 

to learn, to us it still existed and it still happened”.  
  
Merlyn said, “guess so, it’s just kinda hard to get it though”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I know, look it’s probably something to do with the parallel universe and dimension factor the point been, Magius and I were both there, and we still remember it, and it happened”.  
  
”So if Talavar is Basilisk, what are we going to do?” Merlyn asked.  
  
Xavier said, “I don’t know, I don’t really want to kill him you know we are the last few remaining members of our race, guess I am kind of hoping we can get him to see that and become an ally rather than an enemy like I said he’s a brilliant geneticist, his

knowledge would benefit us all if put to our use, to help us win this war which if left unchecked could become a Time War, due to the T’ron mucking about with time”.  
  
”And if we can’t?”  
  
Xavier sighed “I really don’t know Merlyn perhaps send him someplace where he can’t harm anyone else”.  
  
”There is a planar prison,” Merlyn said “it’s called Decagon, the Universe sends their worst prisoners there, once there you can never get out because it is a small part of the Demon Planes, noone can get out of it, Master Casamir took us there once when we

apprehended a dangerous and mad criminal for the Jedai Order, we were 16 at the time, it was a place I wouldn’t want to see again, I still see it in my nightmares. Master Casamir apologised for taking us there, making us see it with our own eyes, but, he   
  
also said it was a valuable lesson for us both, Rastalin and I could get him incarcerated there. He wouldn’t be killed or tortured, but he wouldn’t be able to harm anyone there”.  
  
Xavier said, “I keep forgetting just how much pull those of your Order have in the Universe, it sometimes seems you’re a law upon yourselves”.  
  
  
”In some of the less civilised galaxies and planets, we are the Law!” Rastalin said “but you are right everyone takes notice of and respects the Jedai Order and those of it. I suppose you've noticed that.”  
  
”I have,” he said, “which is why I probably have such a quiet pride in you both because you are both Jedaini, I grew to hold a lot of respect for the Jedai Order due to Aeryn. Sometimes it was her and only her that got us anywhere”.  
  
Rastalin said, “due to that fact Merlyn and I could get someone incarcerated to Decagon, and noone would question our authority?”.  
  
Xavier nodded “I have to remember that fact”.  
  
”It’s the truth,” said Rastalin.  
  
Xavier coughed again and said “that enzyme certainly knocks you around a bit” he closed his eyes and said “give me a moment, I’ll expel it out of my system” he did so and went and threw up down the hole that was in the floor then took another drink of   
  
water and said, “I think I got most of it”.  
  
”What is that hole?” said Merlyn.  
  
”I think it’s an oubliette,” said Xavier “nasty bit of work those things are keep away from it, just as well it’s blocked off”.  
  
”Where are we?” Crysta asked.  
  
”I think we’re in the ruined fortress,” said Xavier.  
  
”I think so,” said Merlyn “but why leave us here?”  
  
Xavier looked around “good question”.  
  
”Maybe they’re coming for us later,” Crysta said, “I don’t think we can go anywhere from here seeing most of it is in ruins and is blocked off”.  
  
Xavier looked around “there doesn’t seem to be any doors out of it as well” as they were in a large round room that was featureless apart from the oubliette in the floor there seemed to be no way in or out of the room, “they must use another method to get  
  
in here, or there is a well-hidden secret door. May be operated by a keyword or something”.  
  
Merlyn nodded “that’s what I’m thinking”.  
  
Xavier nodded “yeah”.  
  



	19. Muir Island. July 19th- 2947

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of their friends start to come to their rescue

Magius was sitting by the pool at the Motel, enjoying the sun, the massage that an attractive native girl was giving him, and the tall Martini (shaken not stirred) that he was currently sipping.  
  
He kind of liked this lifestyle that he had been forced into sometimes more than he cared to admit and the fact his current regeneration was quite distinguished-looking, and his English accent seemed to drive the girls wild.  
  
He knew he should have been getting on with the mission, but, right now he was taking some time out, hay even a Secret Agent needed some time out occasionally!  
  
” Would you like some more Mr Foxx?” the masseuse asked him.  
  
”Yes a little further down my back would be nice,” he said, “yes, that’s good, you have the right spot”.  
  
”Very well, Mr Foxx,” she said.  
  
He settled down to enjoy the massage making a mental note to ask the girl out for dinner when she got off, she really was **_quite_** attractive.  
  
”There you are!” said a feminine voice with an Australian accent.  
  
Magius who had been semi dozing groaned, and looked up to see Tina, clad in jeans and a tee-shirt and still managing to look drop-dead gorgeous especially in _**those**_ jeans that clung to her curves like glue leaving nothing hidden standing there with her 

hands on her hips, Salmarian was sure one lucky fellow!

It was just his rotten luck though that the only _ **female**_ Timelord he had met in a long time happened to be _**married**_! To **another _Timelord_** no less!  
  
  
He sat up and asked “what is it, Tina?” as the masseuse worked on his shoulders.  
  
”Xavier and the kids didn’t come home last night,” Tina said.  
  
”They didn’t?” he asked he had to admit he hadn’t seen either Xavier or any of the three children around this morning but hadn’t put much thought to it, thinking maybe they had slept in or gone out somewhere.  
  
”No!” she said “nor did they return your skimmer, I think something’s _happened_ to them”.  
  
Magius turned to the masseuse and said, “we’ll continue this later Ok Liah?”  
  
”Yes, Mr Foxx,” she said, putting her things away and walking off.  
  
Tina said, “Magius I think something happened to them”.  
  
Magius said “Tina their Jedaini Knights and Xavier is _**more**_ than capable of looking after himself! They probably got lost in the storm or something, have you tried to contact Xavier by his communicator or the boys?”  
  
”I can’t raise Xavier, and the boy's communicators aren’t responding either it’s like they’re jammed or something,” she said, “my Tardis can’t pick them up either”.  
  
Magius said, “hmm I see, maybe your right then, something has happened to them”.  
  
He stood up and pulled his towel around his shoulders “let’s see if I can raise them then”.  
  
Tina followed him to his room and saw a communications array, a portable one which seemed to be a mix of various bits of technology.  
  
Magius said, “my TT capsule was pretty much destroyed when I crashed here in this universe, it was a war one, but I managed to salvage some of the technology, and did what I could with it, my ship also has Tardis technology in it, it is what I used to signal.”  
  
Tina nodded “that must have been terrible, it’s amazing you survived.”  
  
”I almost didn’t” he shrugged “I _regenerated_ , come on let’s see if we can track Xavier and the kids, I probably have some technology here your vintage type 40 doesn’t”.  
  
Tina nodded “fair enough”.  
  
He went and sat at the communications array and switched it on, pushing some buttons and then said to Tina “Tea or something Tina?”  
  
Tina nodded as she looked over the technology; she recognised some of it but not all.  
  
”I have some iced tea here I made; it’s fresh and should be nice and cold by now,” he said.  
  
”That’s fine,” she said, “you know you've done a good job with what you had”.  
  
”Thanks it suffices,” he said, “I put the telepathic circuit in my ship though.”  
  
He came out carrying two tall glasses filled with ice and iced tea and gave one to Tina, who sat down in one of the chairs.  
  
He turned to his scanner and said: “I’ll scan for their patterns; they should show up, especially if I configure it specifically to our biodata, they should show up then, just how **_Gallifreyan_** are Xavier’s children?”  
  
Tina said, “pretty much full blood, Rast, Merlyn and Crysta all show up as pretty much Gallifreyan on our equipment”.  
  
”That’s good,” he said.  
  
”It’s like our two races were meant to merge! It’s bizarre” said Tina “they had Dorenganzan characteristics, but they all show up as Gallifreyan on our equipment and Dorenganza on everyone’s else’s it’s like both their sides have merged so smoothly there is

no difference anymore! The three kids are definitely one of us!”  
  
Magius nodded “the legendry Dorenganzan Adaptability then”.  
  
Tina nodded “yes, but they have also retained a good measure of their Dorenganzan abilities as well, their limited a bit when it comes to shapeshifting but that is all that has seemed to suffer, they all glow when there is danger, the three of them are strong  
  
in the Force, they can all use the magic of the Nodes, and they have all the typical Dorenganzan abilities. They are a powerful hybrid, do you realise just how powerful the Dorenganza are?”  
  
Magius nodded “they are the one race that is equal to our own, even I know that! No wonder Xavier fell in love with one”.  
  
”I don’t think their entirely as connected to their Plane as the rest of their species are though, they all lack the blue triangular mark that all of their race have on their chests, nor their races virtual immortality when they reach adulthood, full breed Dorenganza  
  
can sense when Xanadu their home plane is in danger, Rast and Merlyn have never been able to, well not by that means at least, they have _our_ sense of uncertainty not the Dorenganzan, I don’t know whether that is a good or a bad thing though. But like the  
  
rest of their race they never really get lost in the universe, and they can move through time using the Planes, and they can travel the Planes as easily as any member of their race can. There are good points and bad points to be what they are”.  
  
He nodded “ makes sense I guess” he configured his scanner for Gallifreyan biodata and said “ they’re still alive, but I can’t pinpoint where it’s like something is causing static or something” he frowned “I’ll broaden the scan, but it’ll take some time” he picked  
  
up the scanner “ care to join me in flight over the islands Tina? We’d take my ship maybe if we flew around a bit with the scanner we’ll have better luck pinpointing where they are”.  
  
”Can Salmarian come?” she asked.  
  
”I was just about to suggest that he do,” said Magius.  
  
”It’s just that I have always been something of an older sister to the boys and see them as my companions. Salmarian loves Crysta like a daughter, and she’s his companion”.  
  
”I admit I never got the Timelord urge and into the habit of picking up companions, but that is just me, Xavier fell in love with his. You two have between you raised yours, even though they were Xavier’s children! It was quite common too, believe me if you  
  
are a roaming Timelord to pick up a companion or two. Most roaming Timelords do it”.  
  
Tina shrugged “yeah I guess it’s a weakness of ours”.  
  
Magius shrugged “maybe not, look go get Salmarian and meet me in the carpark, we’ll fly around and see if we can find Xavier and your companions, bring whatever you can with you, as we may have to rescue them”.  
  
”You’re thinking Basilisk may have gotten to them,” Tina asked, guessing her fellow Timelords thoughts.  
  
”I didn’t say that,” he said.  
  
”No, but you thought it,” Tina said.  
  
”Were you reading my mind, Tina?” he asked.  
  
”No,” she said, “because I was thinking the same thing”.  
  
”Yes, I guess that is a strong possibility,” he said, “I’ll get some of my equipment as well, meet me in the Carpark”.  
  
”Ok,” Tina said, “but what do you mean you’re never gotten into the habit of picking up companions?”  
  
”Pardon?”  
  
”The way you spoke of Tianna and Withers I’d say you had gotten companions, especially Tianna,” she said.  
  
Magius looked surprised he hadn’t considered that Tianna was a fellow agent, and so had Withers, but, he had always chosen both of them for his team, out of all the available agents he’d had always wanted Withers or Tianna, or taken both of them.  
  
Magius admitted, “I never thought of it that way”.  
  
Tina said, “I would say Tianna and Withers were your Companions”.  
  
”I couldn’t save Withers,” he said softly “it was too late to do so, but I will save Tianna!”  
  
Tina said “It is always hard to lose a Companion” she touched his shoulder in comfort and said, “if you want to talk about it, I’m a good listener”.  
  
Magius looked at her and said “thanks Tina but let’s just rescue your Companions and mine first, huh? _**Especially**_ yours, their just **_kids_**!” he sighed “go get Sal and bring whatever equipment you can; it’s time we put an end to this!”  
  
”Yes Magius,” she said, leaving his room to get Salmarian and to get some equipment from the Tardis, wondering where the two boys kept their Adept armour probably in their rooms.  
  
A few minutes later, with a floating container between them which contained things like weapons, the stuff Rastalin and Merlyn had been working on.  
  
The stuff Magius had given them, including the boy's armour.  
  
Salmarian and Tina met Magius down in the carpark, along with an anxious Vorz, the boys two Psionets (which was a small psionic faerie dragon) and Crysta’s winged cat.  
  
Salmarian was decked out in his full ‘ ** _Van Helsing_** ’ garb, the hat, the coat and his weapons, Tina was in her ‘ ** _Spellcoat_** ’ as she called it, a long coat of multi-coloured material that had a dozen pockets that held spell components, and had protection Sigils and  
  
spells woven into it, she only wore it when things got serious, it was her armour.  
  
Magius had changed into tight-fitting black body armour.   
  
He was wearing a long black coat, underneath he carried a blaster and a couple of other weapons, as well as a utility belt, the suit and his jacket, were both light armour, the symbol of Gallifrey was on the back much like it was on Tina’s ‘ ** _Spellcoat_** ’, Salmarian

had the emblem of Rassillon and of Gallifrey on the sleeves of his coat and on his jacket was woven the mark of the Order of the Five, like Tina, his coat was covered in Sigils.  
  
Salmarian said, “we’re ready”.  
  
Magius looked at them both and said “I can see that, but the **_cat_**? And the _**dragons**_ and the **Vortasaur**?”  
  
Tina chuckled and said, “Vorz is anxious about Crysta, he’s her pet, the Psionets belong to the twins, and the cat is Crysta’s as well”.  
  
”The Falcon and the Owl are ours,” said Salmarian “we’re Mages remember, their familiars”.  
  
”Oh,” said Magius “well Ok then, although the _Vortasaur_ is going to have to squeeze in though, my ship isn’t that big! How old is it?”  
  
”Uh it’s half-grown we think, his name is Vorz, Merlyn injured him when flying my Tardis once. Crysta adopted him and nursed him back to health, he loves Crysta and is anxious about her”.  
  
Magius nodded “he’ll be _big_ enough to **ride** soon! You were going to teach her how to ride him?”  
  
Salmarian nodded “yes”.  
  
”Xavier was always good at riding them,” he said, “used to beat me all the time, ok Vorz you can come it’s going to be a bit of a squeeze though”.  
  
”Where is your ship?” Tina asked.  
  
”Right here,” said Magius pulling out a device and pressing a button and before their eyes, a vessel appeared.  
  
”A mini Corvette ?” Tina asked astounded.  
  
”It fell through time when I did, I repaired her and added what I could of my Tardis onto her, she is capable of time travel, I’ve reason, to use it like that though,” he said opening the doors and climbing in beckoning them to do so.  
  
”Ok,” said Tina as she climbed in, yes it was a bit of a squeeze for Vorz, but he managed to get in.  
  
Salmarian looked around “I used to fly a courier ship.”  
  
Tina sat down and said “thanks”.  
  
Magius made a pre-flight check and said: “strap in”.  
  
They did so, and Magius attached the scanner to a panel and turned it on and said: “This will hopefully help us find Xavier and the children”.  
  
He then started the ship up and said: “keep your eyes and your ears peeled”.  
  
”Ok,” said Salmarian.  
  
Tina said, “you’re done some extraordinary modifications on this thing.”  
  
”Thank you,” he said.  
  
Salmarian looked at some of the equipment and remarked: “was your ship a War one?”  
  
”Yes” he replied.  
  
”Thought so, I recognise some of this equipment; I _**helped**_ develop some of it,” Sal said.  
  
”I thought you were from a different era than I was,” Magius said.  
  
”We were, a lot of this stuff was still tested or were still just in theory when I was developing it,” Salmarian said, “actually a lot of it was still very hush-hush”.  
  
”You’re definitely from a different era than,” said Magius “they had been using some of this equipment for years by my time, I kind of envy you two though, the pair of you didn’t have to see what became of us”.  
  
Tina asked, “Was it really that bad?”  
  
”Yes it was” he replied softly.  
  
Tina said, “I am so sorry”.  
  
”Don’t be it wasn’t your fault” he said, checking the scanner as they flew over some vacant ground, probably National Park “I am glad you were spared it actually” he looked at them both “you are both so young you didn’t need to see what became of us”.  
  
Salmarian was checking the scanner and said: “their bio traces is strong here, I don’t think it is where they are but where they were last”.  
  
Magius nodded “I’m taking us down then, we might be able to glean some of their whereabouts from here”.  
  
He bought his ship down and landed, and they all got out, Vorz followed sniffing the air.  
  
They followed the smell of damp smoke and came to what appeared to be two burnt-out skimmer bodies.  
  
Magius bent down and picked up a burnt and blackened numberplate and said “guess I knew what happened to my car then” he held it up it said _**FOXX 008**_ the number plates were British.  
  
”What happened?” Tina wondered.  
  
”My guess is some of Basilisks men mistook Xavier for me, seeing he was driving my car. Looks like whoever they were they took them down with them, we know Xavier and the kids are still alive though so they must have walked away from the crash

relatively unharmed”.  
  
”But what happened? Why have they disappeared?” Tina asked as Vorz started frantically sniffing around the ruins and with a growl pulled something out of one of the ruins it was a burnt piece of pink ribbon.  
  
”That’s Crysta’s she had it in her hair yesterday morning,” said Salmarian “I remember her asking me to tie it for her”.  
  
Tina asked, “but what happened after they walked away from the crash?”  
  
Salmarian said “one way to find out” he stepped back and raising his arms he chanted:  
” _Earth, Air, Fire, Water tend to my call_  
 _Bound together by spirit, Time is called_  
 _Clear the veil and let us see what has Gone Before_  
 _Order of the Five! Come alive!_ ”   
  
He spun around and made a couple of motions in the air and then joined his friends.  
  
”Now what?” Magius asked.  
  
”Wait a second,” said Salmarian “Arha!” as a light formed in front of them and they saw the two skimmers chasing each other cross country at the height of last night’s storm, both on fire, they saw the black skimmers bonnet catch alight.  
  
In the silver skimmer, they saw four figures jump out of it just as the silver skimmer whipped around in mid-air and go back and collide with the black skimmer causing both skimmers to go up in a massive fireball.  
  
Watching the events unfold after the crash, they saw that three figures were knocked out and that the fourth was shot with a gun in the chest both sides once down they were loaded into a runabout and then flown off, they just caught a glimpse of the  
  
painted green Basilisk on the bottom of the runabout.  
  
”Basilisk,” said Magius “it means that they were taken to Halau then, which is where we find them”.  
  
”I just hope they're all still alive,” said Tina.  
  
”Their life signs are strong their still alive, but did you **_notice_** how they took down Xavier? Basilisk knows I am not human” he said, “ that is the most worrying of it all, Basilisk knows about me, so either Tianna’s been broken, or there is a much deeper

meaning to this all”.  
  
”But you said Tianna doesn’t know you’re not human?” said Tina.  
  
”She doesn’t she thinks I’m a low-level Super like she is, but, she does know that I have a somewhat unusual bio makeup, I couldn’t exactly hide that from her,” he said seeming slightly embarrassed.  
  
Tina said, “you and she are lovers, aren’t you?”  
  
Magius said “well uh….” He blushed slightly and lowered his head.  
  
”I **_knew_** it!” Tina said, “I swear we all have a hereditary weakness for humans!”  
  
Salmarian laughed to himself and shook his head “figures! She’s your Companion, isn’t she?”  
  
”Well I guess so,” said Magius, “I think it’s because we aren’t as unalike as some seem to think, you two are pretty lucky in that regard seeing you are of the same race!”  
  
Salmarian nodded “I guess we are, look all that aside, let’s go rescue Xavier, the kids and your companion and take out Basilisk while we’re at it”.  
  
”That’s if Xavier and the kids haven’t rescued themselves and Tianna by now!” Tina said, “remember Rast and Merlyn aren’t exactly just a pair of ordinary 18-year-olds, and Crysta is your Companion!”  
  
”And the twins are yours” Salmarian countered “poor old Xavier he must feel a little left out seeing we both know his children better than he does!”  
  
”He’ll get over it,” said Tina.  
  
Magius looked at the wreckage of his car and said: “I don’t know how HQ is going to respond to this, you know how many **_pounds_** that car was worth!”  
  
”Probably quite a bit,” said Salmarian, “come on, let’s go rescue our friends” they all walked back to Magius’s ship.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Companions rescue Tianna

**HALAU  
**  
Meanwhile, on Halau, they had been moved to what appeared to be cells under the fortress and put into one, along with a small, elfin looking dark haired human woman.  
  
She sat down at the back of the cell her head bowed and seemed totally zapped of energy, and her bound hands and wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding, and she appeared to be crying.  
  
”That’s **_Tianna_**!” said Merlyn recognising her right away “Magius’s companion!”  
  
Xavier nodded and said, “let’s free her”.  
  
Merlyn pulled out his sonic screwdriver and went over to the crying woman and said “Tianna?”  
  
Tianna looked up and backed up looking terrified as she caught sight of Merlyn’s outfit “stay away from me!” she said “I can’t take your mind probes anymore! I won’t tell you anything! You should know that by now! Just let me be!”  
  
”Whoa!” Merlyn said, “we aren’t here to hurt you!”  
  
”That’s what you all keep saying!” she said.  
  
Merlyn said “honest! We aren’t here to hurt you!”  
  
”Keep away from me!” she snarled “I swear if I was able you would regret doing what you did to me!”  
  
Xavier said, “I think I know what she’s afraid of, Quin, Tilan, it’s your robes”.  
  
Merlyn looked down at his torn, filthy, soot-stained robes and said: “oh yeah I forgot about that”.  
  
”She thinks your Dark Adepts,” said Xavier, “she thinks your both are”.  
  
Rastalin said, “yeah I forgot we were both in our robes, it’s just that their part of who we are we tend to forget that they dress the same”.  
  
Xavier turned to Tianna “it’s Ok Tianna, Quinawah and Tilanthalas are not Dark Adepts they are Jadai, and we are here to rescue you”.  
  
”You sure?” she asked.  
  
”Yes quite sure,” said Quinawah “I am Consular Quinawah Asturan, and this is my brother Guardian Tilanthalas Asturan, he is our father Professor Xavier Asturan, and our sister Senior Apprentice Crystal Asturan”.  
  
Tianna said, “it’s just that, people dressed like that have been torturing me, a Half Elf and a human woman”.  
  
”The Dark Adepts, probably a Master and an apprentice,” Quinawah said, “ They are like us, they are almost always found in pairs or a small group, or singly but mainly pairs, a Master and an apprentice, two full Siath, sometimes two apprentices, we’re both

Knights technically, but, we are Jadai. However, many would argue the difference, and technically there is really no dark side or light side we’re all grey; it's just how people choose to use it”.  
  
Xavier said, “trust me they aren’t Siath, we were contacted by Magius to help him when your mission was compromised, I am Xavier although he may have called me by the name Xanian, we’re old friends he and I”.  
  
She nodded “I remember him mentioning a Xanian” she shuddered “I’m scared when Magius is around I always feel safe and protected, but here I feel alone”.  
  
Xavier said, “let us free you Tianna, and we’ll see if we can get out of here together”.  
  
Tianna indicated the bands she wore on her wrists “their iron I’m allergic to it, it cripples my powers”.  
  
Merlyn nodded and using the sonic screwdriver he undid the bands noticing how raw and blistered her hands were.  
  
”There you go,” said Merlyn using his healing powers to heal her hands and wrists.  
  
She relaxed as the warmth of Merlyn’s healing powers went through her, all Dorenganza could heal it was a natural inbuilt ability some of them were better at it than others, like his friend Serillia whose greatest strength was in her Healing ability, which was

why she was being trained as Healer.  
  
Merlyn wasn’t too bad, nothing special. Still, he had enough power in healing to be useful, Tilanthalas only had the most basic healing ability.  
  
”Thanks,” she said, rubbing her hands and wrists, and she reached into her pockets and slipped two golden wristlets on her wrists much like the ones Wonder Woman wore.  
  
”Magius mentioned that you were a low powered super” Xavier remarked.  
  
”Low powered is right,” she said “ I was told my powers were more Hero Support rather than Superhero, one of the reasons why I joined Intelligence, because I knew they would appreciate what I could do, which isn’t much. I was a real disappointment to my   
  
parents because they had both Superhero level powers and me, their only daughter didn’t”.  
  
”What powers do you have?” Merlyn asked, “if you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
”Not much really,” she said “I glow a bit, and I have heightened reflexes. I can freeze people temporarily, but, those are pretty much classed as low key” she indicated her wristlets “these actually enhance what heightened reflexes I have, I can’t fly, I don’t   
  
throw energy bolts around, I don’t have super strength. However, I am good at Martial Arts I am not invulnerable to anything, bullets can wound and probably kill me as easily as anything, my powers give me a slight edge, but that’s all, much like John’s do”.  
  
They remembered Magius saying that everyone at Intelligence just thought he was a low powered Super because when you thought about being a Timelord didn’t really make you stand out too much.  
  
”Ok,” said Merlyn.  
  
”Can you get that door opened?” she asked them.  
  
Merlyn nodded “I think so” he went over and checked it “it seems pretty standard actually”.  
  
Rastalin said “Heavy though think you could do it Merlyn?” he smoothed his robes chanting softly performing minor mending work on both his and Merlyn’s robes, he couldn’t help the soot staining and that, but he got most of the caked mud off so they   
  
looked halfway decent, he went to do the same on Xavier’s clothes but found his father had already done it.  
  
”I forgot you knew some magic,” said Rastalin.  
  
”I’m an Artificer,” said Xavier.  
  
“Ok yeah I forgot about that,” said Rastalin.  
  
”Should be able to do it?” said Merlyn “together we’ll do it quicker”.  
  
Rastalin nodded “how about the sonic screwdriver?”  
  
”Not from here,” Merlyn said.  
  
”Ok,” said Rastalin.  
  
Merlyn concentrated on the door and using the Force burst it open, the guards outside just hired muscle, nothing special went into attacking them, but two ignited Lightsabres stopped them _**cold**_!.  
  
”You didn’t see us,” Rastalin said using the ‘ _Jedai Mind Trick_ ’ on them both as Merlyn helped Tianna to her feet, she was still weak.  
  
Both Guards both walked outside and assumed their positions, Merlyn grinning closed the somewhat out of shape door behind them and said: “best get going, or else we’ll be caught!”  
  
He pulled out the sonic screwdriver adjusted the top.   
  
He held it up, jamming any signals from cameras and that to cover their getaway.  
  
Tianna who was being helped along by Xavier now said: “you two really are Jedi!”  
  
Xavier nodded “yep they sure are, come on let’s get going Tianna and find out who Basilisk is”.  
  
Tianna said “he is this tall man with a British accent much like John’s, quite handsome really, in a sinister way with dark hair and dark eyes, tends to dress a bit like you and John, in this very stylish dark suits mainly black or brown or grey with a high collar at

times. I don’t think it’s me he really wants, its John. Who are you anyway and how come you know John? Are you with **_INTELLIGENCE_** as well?”  
  
”No, I’m with _**SIS**_ ” he replied.  
  
”Special Investigations Section?” she asked, “you’re with the Military?”  
  
”Technically I guess so, but no _**SIS**_ is more like the off-world version of ** _INTELLIGENCE_** ” he replied.  
  
”Oh,” she said.  
  
Xavier said, “as to how I know John, we are old friends, and we went to college together”.  
  
”Oh,” she said.  
  
”He was always the soldier thought while I was the diplomat, I think your right about Basilisk wanting John rather than you’.  
  
”How come you got captured?”   
  
”I think it’s a case of mistaken identity, he thinks I’m John, but why does he want John for?”  
  
Tianna said, “He says he needs his expertise”.  
  
”His expertise?”  
  
”Yeah for the weapons,” she said, “and yes he did mention that there is a cache of weapons here from something called **_The Time Wars_** and that he needs John’s expertise”.  
  
”He told you that?”  
  
”No, I just heard him mention it when whatever you call them was torturing me”.  
  
”Siath” Merlyn supplied “Dark Adept Knights”.  
  
”Yeah them, he says they're in the tunnels and that he and John know each other from old, he didn’t mention you though”.  
  
”He probably wouldn’t have,” said Xavier getting more and more intrigued.  
  
Tianna said “Look can you warn John to stay away from here? I am afraid Basilisk will kill him!”  
  
Xavier said, “nothing will keep John away Tianna; he’s probably on his way here now to rescue you and us!”  
  
”The mission has been compromised rather severely, the rules state that when that happens, we walk away deny all existence of it regardless of who gets lost in the process”.  
  
” ** _INTELLIGENCE_** might operate that way,” Xavier said “but **SIS** doesn’t! We’re usually sent in to clean up other people’s messes”.  
  
”And nor do the Jedai,” said Merlyn “this is exactly the type of situations we get sent into as well! There are Siath about! We have to take them out”.  
  
Xavier nodded “and with time been messed around as well, it’s mine and Magius’s duty to see that it is fixed. Tianna, Magius isn’t operating as a 00 at the moment; I don’t know how much you know about his past but believe me, Magius is doing this not for  
  
 _ **INTELLIGENCE**_ but for the universe”.  
  
”Pardon?”  
  
”Just how much do you know about John?” Xavier asked.  
  
”Pardon?”  
  
”Just how well do you know John? About his past that type of thing?”  
  
Tianna said, “I don’t see why I should have to answer that!”  
  
Xavier said “fair enough but think about it, how much do you really know about John?”  
  
Tianna said, “it is **_none_** of your business!”  
  
Xavier nodded he thought as much, Tianna was more than just Magius’s team member she was also his Companion and probably his lover.  
  
Xavier said, “you love him, don’t you?”  
  
Tianna said, “my relationship with John is _**not**_ the relevant issue here, Xavier!”  
  
Xavier said, “I think it has a part, however small, how well you know John?”  
  
Tianna sighed finding that like with John she couldn’t really refuse to answer Xavier’s question, she just couldn’t, so she replied “John and I, we’re lovers, yes, but to be honest I don’t know an awful lot about his past. He’s rather tight-lipped about it   
  
actually”.  
  
”Thought so,” said Xavier “There is more to John than you know Tianna, I’m not sure it should be me to tell you that though what it is, but he and I…. well we **_aren’t_** quite what we seem, and from what you told me of Basilisk maybe he _**isn’t**_ either”.  
  
Tianna looked at Xavier “what do you know?”  
  
Xavier said, “I am not sure it should be I to tell you who John is or what”.  
  
Tianna looked at him then and said “your **_aliens_** , aren’t you? You’re not _human_ , are you? You look human, but you are not, and John’s not just a low powered super is he? Like I have always believed him to be?”  
  
Xavier said “no we’re not human, John nor I, or my kids, it’s a little difficult to explain actually. But the short of it John, me and my kids all share the same blood we are of the same race.”  
  
”What are you then?” she asked “you all look human to me”.  
  
Xavier said, “we are pretty darn close, but we’re probably what is known as ‘ ** _Near Human_** ’ in this universe”.  
  
”Oh”.  
  
”You should probably get John to explain it to you though because I think the main thing at the moment is to find Basilisk!”  
  
Tianna nodded “Ok fair enough, but HQ is really going to put John and me over the hot coals about this one, especially seeing the whole mission was compromised, and John called in outside help”.  
  
”I don’t think he cares,” said Xavier, as he pulled her aside as a group of the hired muscle passed them, “I think the word out that we’re escaped”.  
  
”You **think**?” she asked sarcastically.  
  
”Yep I’d say so,” said Xavier, going through his own pockets frowning at the state of his velvet frock coat; it was really going to need a clean! He pulled out a yoyo, an apple core, a bedraggled copy of ‘ _A Tale of Two Cities_ ’, a windup toy Dalek, a screwdriver,  
  
a Swiss Army knife, his wallet, a photo of Crysta and Vorz, a Luke Skywalker action figure, a fold-up umbrella, a packet of Jelly Babies and a pair of wraparound sunglasses.  
  
”You’d think I’d pack something better in here than a Swiss Army Knife!” he said with a sigh, he looked at the twins “maybe I should take a page from your book!” he said to his sons, while Crysta giggled.  
  
”You’re as _bad_ as _**someone**_ else we know!” Crysta said.  
  
Xavier said, “it’s a **Timelord** thing Ok!”  
  
”Yes Dad,” said Crysta pulling out a wooden stake from somewhere; Xavier recognised it as a chair leg from their cell.  
  
”You got anything else ** _useful_**?” he asked her.  
  
Crysta reached into her own long denim coat and pulled out a pocket knife and a small blaster as well as another chair-leg “uh huh”.  
  
Xavier sighed “alright ** _smarty-pants_** give me that blaster.”   
  
Crysta said, “aw, dad!”  
  
”I don’t like guns, ok? Especially in the hands of my 17-year-old _daughter_!” he said.  
  
”I **_know_ **how to **use** it,” she said.  
  
“No doubt you do, but I still don’t like you having a gun,” he said.  
  
Crysta sighed and handed him the gun “Ok, but can I keep the knife?”  
  
”Ok,” he said.  
  
”We both have blasters,” Tilanthalas remarked.  
  
”Yeah but your Jedai,” said Xavier “I don’t like guns, Ok? But I can’t stop you two from using them, besides you two do plenty of damage with those swords of yours ** _without_** needing a gun!”  
  
Crysta said, “I haven’t got my sword!”  
  
Xavier said, “use your _ **powers**_ than”.  
  
Crysta said, “I’m not as good as my brothers” she admitted.  
  
”I just don’t like you having a gun that’s all Crysta,” he said.  
  
”Yes, Dad,” she said.  
  
Xavier nodded and said, “Tianna, you got something to defend yourself with?”  
  
Tianna nodded “only my powers”.  
  
Xavier nodded “sure wish I didn’t lose my cane” as he had lost his cane in the crash, he didn’t really need that cane, but, it was an affectation of his, it also had a concealed rapier, much like the Doctor with his umbrella and that.  
  
He frowned at the gun he’d gotten from Crysta and put it in his pockets; he didn’t like guns and never had.  
  
Tianna said, “I’ll be fine”.  
  
Xavier said, “Ok, let’s go find Basilisk, then I strongly suspect something about him now after what you've told me, Tianna.”  
  
Tianna said “ _ **what**_? Look all I know is that he’s some kind of mage”.  
  
”I suspect he is a little more than that,” he said his frown growing more profound.  
  
”Who are you?” Tianna asked.  
  
Xavier looked at her “I’m a **_Timelord_** ” he said, looking around for a safe passage past the Hired Muscle.  
  
He turned to the twins” can you two cause a diversion of some sort so we can get past?”  
  
”Sure thing,” said Rastalin he indicated some scaffolding above them and then turned to Merlyn “think we could bring some of that down?”  
  
Merlyn nodded “yep, I believe we can!”  
  
Xavier said “be careful, Ok? I’m not sure whether you’re old enough to _**regenerate**_ yet Ok? Or _even_ if you can!”  
  
Merlyn said, “we’ll be fine”.  
  
”OK,” said Xavier.  
  
Both twins concentrated on the scaffolding and using the Way they bought some of it down onto the two hired thugs who were standing nearby, then yelling _**“Run**_!” they both ran out to the rest of the thugs who were coming in alerted by the noise, 

Lightsabres ignited dodging and deflecting energy blasts that were being shot at them.  
  
Xavier nodded “ok that’s our cue, come on Crysta and Tianna”.  
  
Both women nodded and following Xavier’s flapping coat tails they both bolted after the Timelord.  
  
”Whatsa **_Timelord_?**” Tianna yelled at Crysta as she ran beside the teenager.  
  
”I’ll explain later!” Crysta said pulling out some homemade explosives she had made, she had kept hidden from Xavier (she’d gotten the idea from watching _Traveller_!) and said: “keep going!”  
  
”What are you going to do,” Tianna asked.  
  
”Cause a bit of carnage!” she replied throwing them into the fray hoping she wouldn’t hit her brothers, but she seemed to have a second sense of where they were, she assumed it was a sibling and Force thing.  
  
Tianna said “want me to freeze some of them? So we can get away?”  
  
”You can do that?”  
  
”Ever watched **_Charmed_**?” Tianna asked with a smile.  
  
”Yep,” Crysta said.  
  
”Remember Piper Haliwell?” Tianna asked.  
  
”She was my favourite,” said Crysta.  
  
”Remember what she could do?”.  
  
”Yeah”.  
  
”Well so can I!” said Tianna holding her hands up and Crysta watched in amazement as her thrown explosives froze in mid-air and their assailants as well, but found she wasn’t affected and nor were her brothers or Xavier, Timelord thing she assumed, Piper

Haliwell froze time she remembered, and seeing she was unaffected by time and walked outside it, she was immune and seeing Tianna did it so was she.  
  
”Cool!” said Crysta, frowning as she felt Time freeze, that was definitely a Timelord thing, she was learning to realise that she could feel time, she was aware of it passing.  
  
”Now we run!” said Tianna “it’ll unfreeze in a moment!”  
  
Crysta nodded and did so racing after Tianna, she was then joined by her brothers and Xavier behind them time unfroze, and the explosions went off.  
  
Tianna looked amazed at the twins and Xavier “you didn’t freeze!” she said “but nor does Magius! This is really strange”.  
  
”Told you we were _Timelords_ ,” said Xavier “Time it doesn’t affect us, we walk outside it, nice ability and they say it’s only **_Hero Support_**?”  
  
Tianna shrugged “yeah guess they didn’t realise how useful it can be, it’s getting stronger though, I’m hoping that one day I can really do some damage with it,” she continued “John and I find it useful as well. Like you, he doesn’t freeze. Hang on what does  
  
that _ **mean**_?”  
  
”John’s like us,” he said.  
  
”Like you? What do you mean?” she asked.  
  
”Johns a Timelord from Gallifrey,” said Xavier “I am from Gallifrey and so are my kids even though they were born here, we’re an ancient, immensely powerful race, we can manipulate time, the substance of the universe, needless to say, we are not native to  
  
this universe or dimension, and also we are the last few remaining survivors of our race due to the ** _Time Wars_** ” he sighed “ Magius should be telling you this not I, but seeing you asked, I am a Timelord and am over 700 years old, Magius is an old friend of   
  
mine we went to college together, my kids” he indicated the three teens “ are the result of my union with my Dorenganza companion whom I fell deeply in love with. The Dorenganza are the only race equal to my own in this universe and dimension. Me, my   
  
three children, Tina, Salmarian, The Doctor, the Master, and I strongly suspect Basilisk, Magius, are the few that remain of our once powerful race, our planet, our world, our whole civilisation no longer exist in either this dimension or our own. We have   
  
passed into legend, what you think is low-level Superpowers on John is the result of our unusual biology, we are all slightly stronger, slightly faster, with better-enhanced senses and the like than your average non-Super Human but not enough to be   
  
noticeable. We’re not considered ‘ _Super_ ’ enough to be ‘ _Supers_ ’, and yet we are probably more potent than any Superhero. We look human, here in this universe we even register as a human with possibly the M gene. And actually, we are quite close to   
  
humans, but we are not, given the ratings they have on ‘ _Supers_ ’ we’d probably be classed as _**Hero Support**_ as well. My three children are half-breeds with the powers of both their races. John is a Timelord just like I am, but seeing like me he has the same   
  
abilities everyone thinks he’s a low powered super much like you are. One of the troubles with being a Timelord is you can never tell **who** is one! Because as you’re pointed out, we look human.”  
  
Tianna said, “and that’s why neither you nor John freezes?”  
  
”Yes, because we walk outside time, it doesn’t affect us like it does everyone else.”  
  
Tianna said, “makes sense, I guess, but how come John’s never told anyone what he truly is?”  
  
”Because he probably doesn’t want anyone to know,” Xavier said, “it’s easy for us to pass ourselves off as Human. Therefore we do, it’s something we all do”.  
  
Tianna said “I never thought John was anything but human! He’s well so human! I just thought he was a low powered super like me! And that’s why he didn’t freeze!”  
  
Xavier said, “we are very human in many ways some would probably say too human”.  
  
”That’s how come I can tell if we’re fighting any Supers, they don’t freeze when I do my thing,” she said, “Supers seem to be immune to the effects as well”.  
  
Xavier nodded “makes sense it’s an M gene power so naturally Supers would be immune to it as well”.  
  
”You don’t have the M gene?” she asked.  
  
”Not a trace of it,” said Xavier “look most of my team think I’m a low powered super as well! They all know I’m a Mage, though. I’m an Artificer, seems like Timelords have quite a knack for being able to use the nodes, I suspect it’s our twin hearts”.  
  
”Twin hearts are you saying you have two hearts?”  
  
Xavier chuckled “told you we weren’t human, yes we do one on each side”.  
  
”No wonder Magius has such a weird pulse!” she exclaimed.  
  
”Some carriers of the M gene do to, but it’s kind of rare,” said Xavier “but no all Timelords had twin hearts, including half-breeds like my children!”  
  
She looked at the three teens and said: “clearly you are close to human”.  
  
”Probably a little too close actually,” he said with a shrug “ close enough to fall in love with my companion like you’re done so with Magius. He too, clearly he is human enough for you”.  
  
Tianna said, “he’s quite a man”.  
  
”And you are quite a woman Tianna; I can see why Magius loves you” he shrugged “love makes fools of us all, even **_Timelords_**!”  
  
Tianna looked at him “, and we should be able to have children if we ever wanted to?”  
  
”Timelords and humans are close enough to each other to be able to interbreed it just kind of rare and aren’t always guaranteed, but, it can happen, as I’ve proven, we make children the same way most organic beings do, and it takes a male and a female like

with most races.” He said with a smile “just bear that in mind”.  
  
”Wow!” said Merlyn “way to go Crysta!”  
  
“Ace!” Crysta whooped.  
  
Xavier frowned at Crysta “Crysta have you been _playing_ around with **explosives**?”  
  
”Aw, Dad!” she said.  
  
”I think I need to have a talk with _ **Salmarian**_!” said Xavier with a sigh “you get that from Aeryn, you know! She loved to blow things up as well! The number of talks I had with your mother about safety procedures!”  
  
Crysta said, “so does the Professor with me”.  
  
”Professor?”  
  
”Salmarian,” she said “I’ve always called him the Professor,”  
  
Xavier frowned he couldn’t quite picture the redheaded boyish Salmarian been called ‘ _the Professor_ ’, or even as a Professor! Van Helsing maybe but not a Professor.  
  
”I always saw Salmarian more as Van Helsing from the movie Van Helsing, he even looks like a red headed version of him!” Rastalin said.  
  
”I thought he looked more like a red headed, slightly younger version of the Eighth Doctor myself,” said Merlyn.  
  
Xavier said, “well **_whatever_** I am still going to have a talk to him!”  
  
Tianna had to laugh Xavier sounded so much like her own father at times, she’d been a massive disappointment to both her parents who were both Supers with ‘ _Super_ ’ powers and her, their only daughter and only child had turned out to have mediocre 

talent, but she knew her parents loved her, although they had been hoping to be a trio, that she would follow in their footsteps, instead of running off and joining **_INTELLIGENCE_** and making her living as a Secret Agent.  
  
Xavier said, “come on let’s get moving guys, and find Basilisk”.  
  
”You think he is one of us?” Merlyn asked.  
  
”I couldn’t be sure,” said Xavier “but I have my suspicions seeing he knows Magius”.  
  
The twins nodded, gravely, looking very Jedai at the moment, Xavier knew he could rely on their Jedai instincts.  
  
Tianna said, “got any more of those explosives Crysta?”  
  
”You betcha!” said Crysta, handing Tianna a couple of cans that looked like they had started life out as deodorant cans “you twist the top to let them off”.  
  
”Ok,” said Tianna, she smiled and reached into her coat and handed Crysta her blaster back “don’t tell your dad Ok?”  
  
”How did you?” Crysta asked.  
  
”I have many skills,” she said with a wink, “why do you think I make a good secret agent?”  
  
”You’re a 00 as well?” Crysta asked.  
  
”Not yet,” she said.  
  
”Oh!” Crysta said she was definitely growing to like the gutsy secret agent.  
  
”My codename is _**Angel 12**_ ,” Tianna said with a smile “you know with your abilities you’d make a good secret agent as well”.  
  
”You think so?” Crysta asked, “I mean, I am a Senior Jedai Apprentice and all, but you really think so?”  
  
”Yeah I know you would, you’re going to make a great Jedai Knight one day as well,” she said.  
  
”Cool!” said Crysta.


	21. Halau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Companions get reunited.

**T** hey continued walking occasionally dodging guards till they got to the room with the oubliette in it through a door that was cunningly concealed from the outside and piled in closing the door behind them, knowing they wouldn’t get stuck there again   
  
seeing they now knew where the door was and how to get out of there.  
  
Judging from the hole in the roof it had gotten dark outside, and Xavier sat down and said: “we should be safe in here for a while we need a plan someone”.  
  
Crysta cast a light spell and said: “what have we got in the way of weapons?”  
  
”Not much,” said Xavier, pulling a chocolate bar out of his pockets and breaking it up and offering it out to everyone else.  
  
Merlyn said, “we have two Lightsabres and two blasters”.  
  
Xavier nodded “ knives, stakes, and I bet Crysta has some more explosives on her as well, and I have her blaster as well, what about you, Tianna?”  
  
”I was pretty much disarmed when they captured me” she replied “I do have one knife though, it’s in my boot, and I have my ring and my watch” she held up her hand and said, “it can break glass and that if I twist the stone, my watch has a mini laser in it “.  
  
Xavier said, “I forgot about those, Magius gave me one each as well and strangely enough they both still work, _hmm_ that’s a good thing, I think the communicators damaged though, I tried it, I think it got damaged in the crash”.  
  
Tianna said, “mine works I think I just haven’t tried it though”.  
  
”We also have a sonic screwdriver,” said Merlyn.  
  
Xavier nodded “not much of an arsenal, but it’ll have to do” he pulled out his yoyo and started to play with it “I could use this as a weapon if I had to”.  
  
” Here you guys are!” said a familiar voice, they all looked up in amazement as Magius, Tina and Salmarian appeared, they were surrounded by a light which vanished as they all stood there.  
  
”That was probably picked up!” said Tianna, “I told you it was dangerous to use the Transmat beam, John!”  
  
 _Tianna_!” said Magius going to his companion and hugging her close to him “you’re still alive!”  
  
”Xavier rescued me,” she said hugging him back relishing in the familiar noise of his odd heartbeat a thing she now knew it was because he had two hearts.  
  
”Way to go Xanian!” he said hugging Xavier as well.  
  
”We didn’t use the Transmat,” Sal said, “I **_orbed_** us in!”  
  
”You what?” Xavier asked.  
  
”I’m Order of the Five remember? Fire is my element, but I also have access to the rest of the elements, including air!” Salmarian said.  
  
”Oh,” said Xavier “how did you find us?”  
  
”Timelord intuition,” said Salmarian.  
  
”Thank the powers you’re alright!” said Tina hugging the boys as Sal hugged Crysta.  
  
”I knew you would **_rescue me_** , Professor,” said Crysta.  
  
Salmarian said “we bought some of your stuff with us” he indicated the bags they had come with.  
  
Tina went over to Xavier and said “I found this” she said, handing him his cane.  
  
”Thank you, Tina,” he said, taking it.  
  
Merlyn went to the bag and rooted through it and found clean clothes and his Jedai armour as well as some of his other equipment “ thanks Tina” he said.  
  
Without further ado he pulled off his soiled robes and got into his clean robes and put his battle armour on, he hadn’t worn it a lot, so he was still getting used to it, it was made of a light material, so it didn’t restrict his movements too much.  
  
Still, it took some getting used to, Rastalin had worn it a little more so he was more used to it.  
  
Tying his long hair back, he pulled on his helmet.  
  
He said “this is the first time I’ve actually worn this into battle, I usually rely on my other training to get by” he ignited his lightsword. He made a few practise moves with it.  
  
Rastalin said “ we both haven’t actually worn it seriously like this, but we may need it” he did the same.  
  
He and Merlyn had a mock bout, due to the armour they weren’t as fancy or as showy as they usually were when they had a simulated match.  
  
Tina said to Crysta “here you go, Crysta, I got your lightsabre as well”.  
  
”Thanks Tina,” she said “will I ever get as good as Quin and Tilan though?”  
  
”They’re had theirs for much longer and had more formal training than you have, you may never get as good as they are, but I wouldn’t worry about it, you will be a Knight yourself one day Crysta,” she said.  
  
”I know,” she said, she indicated Tina’s Spellcoat “you’re got some serious armour there as well”.  
  
Tina laughed and pulled on the helmet that Magius had made for them all and said “yeah”.  
  
Magius said “I bought your body armour as well Tianna” he handed her black bodysuit and long coat, nodding she turned invisible and changed into it.  
  
Magius checked his gun and holstered it and said: “Xavier, you still got that hatred for guns?”  
  
”I don’t like guns,” Xavier said he had changed into his own magical armour which consisted of a silvery coloured frock coat and a one-piece suit, kind of like something the Master would wear, like Tina’s and Sals it had protective symbols on it, but, they  
  
were more alchemical than mystical he made a few swings with his rapier and put it back into his cane around his neck he wore an amulet with the symbol of the Artificer Order on it, and like Tina’s his coat had the emblem of Gallifrey on it.  
  
Crysta looked down at her garb she had changed into her ‘ _Van Helsing_ ’ coat which Sal had put mystical symbols on it, Crysta was a mage, but her talents were more towards animals and healing, but she was armed with a small crossbow, a couple of knives,

some more explosives, her lightsword, a couple of throwing weapons and her Chakram.  
  
”Ready to rumble?” Salmarian asked.  
  
”You betcha,” she said, “Sal and Crysta off to their next adventure”.  
  
Salmarian made a high five with her and said “yep that’s it!” for years it had been him and Her, fighting evil, kind of like Buffy and Angel, Xavier may have been her father, but, she was Salmarian’s **_companion_** and always would be.  
  
Rast and Merlyn nodded, and Merlyn said: “for the Jedai!”.  
  
”For us all,” said Xavier “ok, let’s get ready to roll.”  
  
Tina smiled at Salmarian “you and I again together off to save the universe again” she said.  
  
Salmarian nodded “with our companions by our side”.  
  
Suddenly the door opened, and a man stood there surrounded by guards and said: “you are not going **_anywhere_** Magius!” Xavier looked up and gasped just as Magius did as they recognised who he was.  
  
” **YOU!!!”** they both said, “It’s you!”  
  



	22. July 20th-2947-Halau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basilisk Revealed!

The Man in the doorway was tall, taller than both Xavier and Magius and like them was middle aged and distinguished looking with black hair and fair skin and Piercing grey eyes, he was clad immaculately in a grey pinstriped suit.   
  
He also spoke with an upper-crust London accent.  
  
” _Where’s the_ _white Persian cat_?” Rast whispered to Merlyn “all of John Foxx’s villains had white Persian Cats?”  
  
Merlyn dug him in the ribs and said: “This is **_serious_**!”  
  
The man said “Magius I ** _thought_** it was you! But _**Xanian**_ as well?” he made a mock bow “my greetings **_Lord President_** ”.  
  
Tina said to Sal “he **_knows_ **them?”  
  
Sal frowned “yeah”.  
  
”So you _**both**_ survived?” the man asked.  
  
”Who is he?” Tilan asked.  
  
”It is _**you**_!” Magius said astounded.  
  
”Yes, it is **_I_**!” he said, “who’d you think it was?”  
  
”You’re _**Basilisk**_?” Xavier asked.  
  
Tina said, “Oh my Gods, he’s _**another**_ ……?”  
  
Merlyn, who had been seeing him through the Way, nodded and said: “yep looks like it!”  
  
Sal groaned “just our fragging luck! Our villainous Mastermind turns out to be _another_ **one** of us!”  
  
As it had become apparent to them all, that ‘ ** _Basilisk_** ’ was another Timelord!  
  
”Kind of makes sense, though doesn’t it?” Tina asked under her breath.  
  
Magius asked then “ ** _Talavar_** what the blazes are you doing here on Earth! You were exiled and imprisoned! And what are you doing gathering time-sensitive weapons?”  
  
Basilisk said, “you still don’t **_get_** it do you?”  
  
Magius sighed and continued “look all I know was that we were sent out here to find the weapons and dispose of them!”  
  
Basilisk said “there is a war out there Magius! Don’t you see that with these weapons we could stop it cold?”  
  
Magius said “not like this Basilisk! It is not our war, not technically”.  
  
Basilisk _said “_ but it is **our** War! You can’t tell me that you haven’t regenerated here as well!”  
  
 _” **That is beside**_ the point,” Magius said “I am here to do a job and do it I shall! Regardless of who gets in my way! Even an old friend like you!”  
  
”You _**CIA**_[1]!” he snarled.  
  
Magius said “Look Talavar I am sorry, but it really is my job! Hand over those weapons or I shall fight you every bit of the way until I get them!”  
  
Basilisk said, “then it shall be!”  
  
Xavier, ever the Diplomat, spoke then “what are you doing here anyway?”  
  
Basilisk said, “I own ** _half_ **the Island Xanian; I am an upstanding citizen who regularly donates to charities and to the San on the island!”  
  
Xavier asked, “how did you get away?”  
  
”Wouldn’t you like to know?” he asked.  
  
”Noone escapes from **there**!” Xavier said.  
  
”The **Doctor** did,” Merlyn said quietly to Rastalin.  
  
Basilisk noticed the twins and said “ _ **Jedaini**_? You bought the Jedaini here!”  
  
”They sensed the Dark Adepts,” Xavier said.  
  
”They would,” Basilisk said he sighed “ look John all I want is some help with the weapons to fight the War In this universe, can’t you just kind of ignore your training and well ignore your orders or something?”  
  
Xavier said, “what type of weapons are we talking about here, Talavar?”  
  
”Finally, someone **_willing_** to listen!” Basilisk said.  
  
Magius said “Xavier”.  
  
Xavier held up a hand, he sensed Tina and Salmarian’s reluctance to take out a fellow Timelord as well.  
  
He was thinking maybe if they could just get Basilisk to hand the weapons over to the authorities’ perhaps they wouldn’t have to fight Basilisk.  
  
Basilisk said “just some technology I found, look do we really have to fight. Magius all I _**want**_ is your co-operation.”  
  
Magius said, “I can’t do that you know that Talavar my orders were to come here and dispose of the weapons”.  
  
Xavier said “Talavar you are dangerous left loose and running around the galaxy as you are, you do know that don’t you? You were sent to Shada for a very good reason, but maybe we could come to some sort of agreement”.  
  
Talavar sighed “I can see why they made you **_president_** Xanian! Look all I want to do is being able to fight back when the T’ron and the Scorpaenoids and whomever else they had managed to recruit come and take Earth!”  
  
Xavier said, “we all want that, but this is not the way to do it Talavar”.  
  
Talavar said, “look why don’t I show you what I’ve managed to stash away and then you can decide what to do with them”.  
  
Magius still looked unconvinced and said, “I don’t trust you, Talavar”.  
  
Tianna said, “look I don’t care what you guys do to Basilisk I just want to get back at those that tortured me!”  
  
”Leave them to us,” said Merlyn.  
  
Basilisk said, “look I’ll take you down to the tunnels and show you”.  
  
”I don’t trust him,” said Tina, she didn’t want to kill a fellow Timelord either, bring him to justice yes, but not kill him.  
  
Talavar said, “look I am an upstanding citizen of the Muir Islands, killing me won’t go _unnoticed_ , you know”.  
  
”I don’t want to kill you if I can help it,” Magius said, “but I do want you to hand over those weapons, and take you to justice, you’re one of us, and we are too few as it is”.  
  
”Pardon?” Talavar asked.  
  
”You don’t _**know**_?” Magius asked.  
  
”Know what?” Talavar asked.  
  
Magius for the first time since this had started faltered “you really don’t _know,_ do you?”  
  
”Get to the point Magius that was always yours and Xanian’s problem,” Talavar said impatiently.  
  
”You don’t know?” he repeated.  
  
”Look whatever you’re trying to say, just _say_ it!” he snapped.  
  
”There is no **_Gallifrey_** left, we are all that remains! We lost the war, and it wiped us out” Magius said.  
  
For the first time, Talavar really showed emotions, shock, sadness and loss crossed his features in a matter of seconds “ _what_?”  
  
”We the few that remains of our race, we were wiped out, Gallifrey and us!” said Xavier “that is why we don’t want to **_kill_** you! You are too dangerous to be left wandering this universe you’re too much of loose cannon, and you must pay for your crimes, but 

we don’t want you _**dead**_! If we can come to some agreement, maybe we can find some other sentence for you, or you throw yourself in with us! You’re a brilliant geneticist we could _use_ your help!”  
  
Talavar said “you **_lie_**! This is a trick just to get me to turn over myself and the weapons which might be our only hope!”  
  
”We’re not lying Talavar in your hearts you know we speak the truth,” said Xavier “you feel it just like we do, that loss.”  
  
”But how? _Why_?” Talavar said, “how did this happen?”  
  
” ** _The Time War’s_** ,” said Xavier” you like me and Magius fought in them, we lost though and badly, Tina and Salmarian are both young and are from a different era and know naught of what we had become, you **_d_ o**! Do you really think this is the way to fight 

back?”  
  
”Our _**whole world**_? Our people, all gone?” Talavar asked.  
  
”Yes, we are the few that remain, the few survivors, Tina, Salmarian, yourself, Magius, myself, the Doctor of course and my three children”.  
  
” ** _Children_**?” he asked  
  
 _”Yes, children_!” Xavier said, “why is it that everyone looks astonished when I mention that I _**had** _children?”  
  
Talavar looked at the three teens, the two Jedai and the girl “ _children_?”  
  
”Yes children, whom I must add that your thugs practically **killed**!” Xavier said going to stand protectively in front of the teens “I don’t think they’re even _**old**_ enough to regenerate yet or even if they **ca _n_**!”  
  
Talavar said, “two of your children are **_Jedaini_**?”  
  
”Yes, and so was their mother,” he said, “Is this the way to fight back?”  
  
Talavar said almost to himself “ _children_?”  
  
Xavier sighed, why did everyone find it so unusual that he had kids? Couldn’t a Timelord have kids and still be a **Timelord**? He guessed it was because of the Doctor and all the legends surrounding him.  
  
You got a lot to answer for Doctor! He thought, crikey! didn’t the Doctor **_himself_** have a _Granddaughter_?

 **X** avier had kids, _three_ of them, was it that **hard** for people to understand that Timelords were _also_ people? That they had feelings too? And yes, they could fall in love!  
  
”Yes, _**Children**_!” Xavier added “now if you don’t mind let’s work out what we are going to do about you Talavar? You were imprisoned for a very good reason! I can’t believe that you did what you did! All that _knowledge_! You’re as bad as the Rani in many  
  
ways! But Gallifrey doesn’t exist anymore, so we’re stuck with you here! Think about it! Throw your lot in with us, and maybe we’ll find a use for that knowledge!”  
  
Talavar said “were we any better at the end? You know what we did to our own people our own flesh and blood in the end? I was imprisoned for my experiments and theories but think about it **_Lord President_** , were we any better in the end?”  
  
Magius sighed “that is _beside_ the point!”  
  
Tina asked then “what did we do towards the end?”

 **T** hey both looked at her then, and Magius said: “you wouldn’t want to know”.  
  
Tina said, “I can’t imagine us doing anything terrible to _ourselves_ , why **_would_** we?”  
  
Xavier sighed it was times like this he remembered that Tina and Sal were from a different era of Gallifrey’s long history than he was, they hadn’t seen what the war had done to their people at all, in many ways they were like his three children, _innocents_ , and  
  
like his children, he wanted to keep her and Sal that way.  
  
Magius said, “Tina don’t dwell on it, you won’t want to know”.  
  
Tina asked, “what **happened**?”  
  
Talavar looked at the young red headed Timelady with a mixture of compassion and pity and even a little anger and dislike and said: “you _don’t_ know!”  
  
”No we don’t,” said Sal, “look all we know is that there was a war that wiped out our entire planet and our people, Tina and I left Gallifrey because we wanted to be together. And Borusa was still president when we left”.  
  
Talavar said “truly you **_are_** innocents” he turned to Magius and Xavier “Xanian, Magius, do you really think we were any worst in the end? Do you really want to destroy these youngsters’ memories of Gallifrey? _**Join**_ me!”  
  
”Talavar, you know neither of us can do that,” said Magius.  
  
”You did once,” he said.  
  
”And look where it got you! And **us**!” Magius said, “we could have very well ended up ** _Imprisoned_** with you!”  
  
”You didn’t though because the Council decided that you both were innocent, but I endured **_years_** imprisoned! I have not forgotten it!”  
  
”How’d did you get away?” Xavier asked.  
  
”Wouldn’t you like to know?” said Talavar.  
  
Tina frowned “ _hang on_! What the _**heck**_ is going on around here? Look we’re all done things we’re regretted in our pasts, but we go on, we endure, what did you all do that was so **_terrible_** that you almost _**all** _ended up, _imprisoned_ ?” She was torn, and she had  
  
to admit that she didn’t really know that much about Xavier or Magius or their tangled pasts.

All she knew was that Xavier was the father of the three children and that he had gotten stranded in this universe, she could sense that Sal was as confused as she was.  
  
Xavier sighed “I don’t really want to talk about it, Tina.”  
  
Tina said “you have a lot to explain to us one day, **_Xavier_**! But right now what are we going to do about this situation?”  
  
Tianna said, “just let me at the people who tortured me”.  
  
For the first time Basilisk seemed torn, it appeared that what they had said had touched a chord in him. The fact that Xavier had children probably had something to do with it, he seemed to reconsider what he had said and said “maybe you are right Xanian  
  
maybe I will surrender the weapons to you and Magius. Simply because of our lost planet and all its memories and the memories of the youngsters and for the sakes of your younglings, besides I don’t think I really want to mess with two **_Jedaini!_** Even I have  
  
respect for the order”.  
  
Magius said “this is a trick Xanian! **_Don’t_** listen to him!”  
  
Xavier held up a hand and said: “I don’t think it is, will you also surrender yourself to us?”  
  
Talavar said “perhaps”.  
  
Xavier said “look we could do with someone like you on our side Talavar. Gallifrey is gone, the sins of our past lie lost in time and only in our memories. We are a lost people now, homeless orphans, we are a scattered people, and there probably aren’t   
  
enough of us left in this universe and any other to matter anymore. My children and any others like them are what will carry on our legacy. Tina and Sal plan to have a couple of their own eventually as well. It will be people like my three and Tina and Sal and   
  
their family who will go on. Not you and I, we are a figment of a past that no longer exists. There is a war on one that will tear this universe apart before it will end. We can help with fighting back.”

Talavar shook his head “you will always be a _**diplomatic**_ fool Xanian. That was your biggest fault you never realised your own greatness, your own potential, a potential you have probably passed onto your children without even **_realising_** it. Yes, I will 

surrender the weapons to you, and that fool Magius who is even a bigger fool than you are at times at least you have an idea what it is like, at least you have some knowledge of it first-hand. But as to surrendering myself that remains to be seen”.  
  
Magius said, “you will surrender”.  
  
”Too what?” he asked “to be forever imprisoned on some prison planet? I don’t _think_ so. If and I say **IF** we can come to some agreement on my fate then maybe I will **_consider_** it. But locking me up again will not stop me from being who I am. Been trapped on  
  
a prison planet will kill me surely. Look I’ll cut you a deal. You let me go peacefully, and I will never bother you again. I will surrender the weapons to you **_Xanian_** for the sake of our shared past and our former friendship and for the sake of your children. I  
  
can disappear quite easily, and you will never find me again how does that sound?”  
  
”And Tianna?” Xavier asked.  
  
”That was never **_me_** in the first place that was the Adepts. Tianna is free to go” he said he turned to Magius “I too was _**once**_ in love”.  
  
Magius said, “you can’t be taking this seriously Xanian”.  
  
Xavier looked thoughtful “and the catch?”  
  
”You don’t try to find me,” he said, “and if our paths ever cross again it will be because I **_desired_** it so”.  
  
Tianna said “uh Mag’s he is telling the truth you know I can pick stuff up like that. And besides our Orders were to only find the weapons. HQ no doubt know we’ve been compromised”.  
  
Magius said, “it still doesn’t seem right”.  
  
”Might be the only way though. Seriously Mag’s do you really think you can bring yourself to harm another one of our kind? I don’t think I could” said Xavier.  
  
Magius sighed clearly at a loss, he knew he had overstepped the boundaries already of the mission, and he knew as well as Tianna that there was going to be hell to pay when they reported back in.   
  
Maybe they could just let Talavar go. And perhaps he could use his own connections to find the rogue again on his own without dragging Xanian into it.  
  
Xanian had his kids to think about, and Magius knew that deep inside he couldn’t allow himself to be the cause of any harm coming to Xanian’s children if **_that_** happened he couldn’t live with himself.

Oddly enough, it was probably the fact that Xavier had three kids was what had saved them all from Talavar’s wrath.   
  
Talavar was as amazed and as astounded as he was that **_Xavier_**! ** _ Xavier_** of **all** people had **kids**! It had been those same three children that had saved them all it seemed.   
  
Those three kids were what was left of the Timelord race and legacy, and he knew that none of them could bring themselves to let any harm come to the three younglings.   
  
It had struck a chord in **_both_ **him and Talavar!

“Very well,” said Magius “you have a deal, surrender the weapons and we will let you go under the condition that you never come this way again or ever back to Earth”.  
  
”You have my word,” said Talavar and that of being a Timelord and one of the few remaining members of our race”.

“Very well but we will make sure you keep to your side of the Bargain though Talavar,” said Xavier.  
  
“I swear it by Rassillon,” said Talavar.  
  
“Fair enough so now lead us to your stockpile” Xavier said.

“Right this way **_Lord President_** ,” said Talavar slightly mockingly leading them through some secret doorways.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] CIA- not I am not referring to the Central Intelligence Agency but the Celestial Intervention Agency which is a Gallifreyan organization, whose main job is to intervene when time gets messed up or interrupted. Given the fact that there is no longer a Gallifrey it most likely renders it moot.


	23. EPILOGUE -July-2947-Muir Islands-Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter. But well Basilisk will be back!

“You **do** realise that there is going to be hell to pay back at **HQ**?” Tianna asked Magius a few days later as the weapons that Talavar had shown them were being stacked onto a plane bound for London.  
  


Magius nodded “yes I do, it even may get us both booted if the mission been compromised hasn’t already”.   
  
“I know,” said Tianna “but where will we go, what will we do?”  
  
“I don’t know,” said Magius, he looked at her “suppose we could always go wandering the universe through different times and that, I may not have a **_TARDIS_** anymore, but my ship is fully capable of travelling through time and space you know, have you ever

seen a sunset of Metolus 3? You haven’t **_lived_** to your seen one, or the singing cliffs of Crasolia?”  
  
“You serious?” she asked.  
  
Magius nodded “yes I am, Ok it isn’t a **_Tardis,_** but it’s good enough, we could always do the Freighter thing, travel to different worlds and pick up jobs, it can be used as a Freighter after all, and we could do deliveries and that”.  
  
“Ain’t such a bad life,” said Salmarian coming over, “I did it for many years”.  
  
Magius said, “ _see_ ”.  
  
Tianna said, “you are going to have to explain a few things to me, **John**!”  
  
“Might as well call me Magius now?” said Magius with a sigh. “Seeing that came out, it’s my proper name”.  
  
Tianna sighed “it’s a shame we lost Wither’s though he was a good friend.  
  
“that it is,” said Magius.  
  
Xavier said, “you could always join the resistance movements throughout the galaxy to help with the war; a man of your skills would be useful”.   
  
“There is that,” said Magius “I am a soldier, so I am no stranger to war”.  
  
Tianna spoke then “I just want you to know John that wherever you go, I am **_going_** with you”.   
  
“It could be _**dangerous**_ ” Magius warned.  
  
“I don’t _**care**_ , I am used to danger, it would be a lot better than me trying to find myself a desk job in London,” said Tianna.  
  
“I would be glad to have you,” said Magius, he sighed and then added to Xavier “it seems I am not so immune to getting a _Companion_ to join me in my travels after all”.   
  
“Happens to the best of us,” Xavier said with a grin “I did worse remember I _**married**_ mine and had **_children_** with **my** companion!”  
  
“No, you did better than any of us,” said Magius he signed and continued “it was your kids that saved the day, you do _realise_ that don’t you? Your children are what spared us all”.  
  
Xavier nodded “that I do”.  
  
Magius said, “it is good to see you again Xanian it is nice to know that you are alive”.  
  
“Same here,” said Xavier.  
  
Magius looked out over the ocean and said: “ Talavar is still out there you know, him and his Adepts, he’ll be back, I can feel it, he’ll keep his promise and will probably never come to Earth again, but he is still out there”.  
  
“He always will be,” said Xavier, “it seems this universe has gained its own version of the **_Master_** ”.

“Very much so,” said Magius.  
  
“Well, I guess it’s got ** _us_** to protect it” Xavier finished “ maybe we _**aren’t**_ the Doctor, but we are all this universe has, so it is up to **_us_** to protect it, you, me, Tina, Salmarian and the children, maybe it will be enough”.  
  
“It is going to **_have_** to be,” said Magius.

One of the military types, came up to Magius and said, “well these are ready to be taken back to London Sir, will you be following?”  
  
“Yes, in a little while,” said Magius “I have to answer some questions I feel”.  
  
“Very well, Sir,” he said with a salute.   
  
He got in the back of the plane it was a small military Plane, so it didn’t really need a big runway the small private airstrip on Halau was sufficient.  
  
Xavier and Magius got out of the way as the plane got ready to take off and Xavier hugged Magius “good luck Mag’s your gonna need it”.  
  
“Thank you Xanian I think your right,” he said, he turned to Tianna who was saying goodbye to Tina and the rest of them and called out “ok Tian time to go, go meet ** _whatever_ **is awaiting us in London”.  
  
“Yes John,” she said, coming over as Magius dropped the cloaking device on the Corvette he had claimed as his own and opened the doors, and he and Tianna entered.  
  
“Keep in touch Magius” Xavier called.  
  
“You too Xanian,” he said, closing the doors.

Xavier went and joined his friends as they watched the Corvette go through its pre-flight checks then watched silently as it lifted off the ground and headed to the skies.  
  
“Will we ever see him again?” Merlyn asked when it was a small speck on the horizon.  
  
“Yes, I think we will,” said Xavier quietly putting an arm around his sons.

#  THE END


End file.
